Caddy's new ATS gets a high-performance2.0-liter turbo engine making more hp per liter than Lamborghini's Aventador.
In an era when many makers are scaling back on the number of engine options available in any specific product Cadillac has decided to expand the range of offerings it will present when the new ATS compact luxury sedan goes on the market next year.
Among the options will be an all-new turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four that, the maker is boasting, turns out more horsepower by liter then the V-12 used in Lamborghini’s new flagship supercar the Aventador.
The ATS itself will be one of two new models landing in the Cadillac line-up next year, part of General Motors’ effort to revive the luxury brand that once could boast of being the “standard of the world.” The other is the premium luxury XTS sedan targeting the likes of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, while the ATS will jump into a crowded segment dominated by the BMW 3-Series.
Cadillac has so far released only this sketch of the new ATS sedan.
That won’t be an easy ride, so the maker plans to push a variety of buttons in the hope of connecting with entry-luxury buyers. Design is clearly a drawing card, the ATS picking up on the edgy “Art & Science” styling language introduced by the original Cadillac CTS.
But, like the 3-Series, Caddy also plans to emphasize the performance nature of the new ATS, spokesman David Caldwell describing it is “agile, quick and fun,” during a background briefing.
(Click Here for more on the new Cadillac ATS.)
The new 2.0-liter I-4 is likely to be the engine of choice for those who want a spirited ride, the all-new powerplant making 270 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque. That works out to a specific output of 135 hp/liter, which is significantly better than the Audi A4’s 2.0-liter turbo, the V-8 in the Lexus IS-F or even the Aventador’s V-12, at 107.7 hp per liter.
About 90% of that torque will be available by 1500 RPMs, Cadillac claims, and thanks to the electronically controlled, twin-scroll turbo design there is said to be virtually no turbo lag.
The new Cadillac ATS will also be offered with a high-mileage 2.5-liter naturally aspirated I-4, along with a 3.6-liter V-6 that it will share with both the mid-range Caddy CTS and flagship XTS.
Among the other features to be offered on the Cadillac ATS will be the all-new CUE infotainment system, which can, among other things, be operated using conventional speech rather than the rigid command language needed for other telematics systems. (For more on the Caddy CUE system, Click Here.)