Even more surprising was the truck class where the Range Rover Evoque beat the Honda CR-V and the BMW X3. Where is this world coming to if U.S. manufacturers can’t build an SUV or truck to make an impression in their own market?
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According to data from Edmunds, that’s no coincidence. The ATS might be intended as a direct BMW 3-Series rival yet the CTS is also one of the most cross-shopped models amongst its potential buyers.
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This, of course, makes it not only harder for BMW engineers to come up with something better every time there's a replacement due, but it also makes it the car all rivaling manufacturers have set as their benchmark.
Cadillac has made quite a fuss about its new ATS being a bona-fide, Nürburgring-bred sports saloon that can take on the best – i.e. the brand new, F30 3-Series.
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It took a few months, but we now have the first (or at least, the first we've heard of) tuning program made exclusively for the sports sedan from Cadillac specialist, D3 Group.
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After Motor Trend's Jonny Lieberman gave the upper hand to the 328i, his colleague at Car & Driver magazine Jared Gall did the same, as he also found the BMW to be a better choice overall.
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And it is these two sport sedans that Motor Trend's Jonny Lieberman brings together for a driving comparison in the latest episode of "Head 2 Head". The cars of choice are the Cadillac ATS with the 2.0-liter turbocharged engine and the BMW 328i.
The latest iteration of the BMW 3-Series, codenamed F30, has a lot in common with Cadillac's second attempt in the segment after the poorly received and executed (Saab 9-3-based) BLS, which was sold in Europe and Russia.
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The base, rear-wheel model with the 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that delivers 202-horsepower and a 6-speed automatic is the most fuel-efficient version returning 22mpg city, 33mpg highway and 26mpg combined (10.7lt, 7.1lt and 9.0lt/100km respectively).
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While the ATS is offered in the States with three petrol engine options including a 200hp 2.5-liter 4-cylinder, a 270hp 2.0-liter turbocharged four and a 320hp 3.6-liter V6, Cadillac's European release only mentions the 2.0L Turbo that can accelerate the rear-wheel drive sedan from zero to 100km/h (62mph) in 5.9 seconds.
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The reason is a software glitch on the OnStar communication system that affects the 2013 Chevrolet Cruze, Equinox and Volt, the Cadillac ATS, SRX and XTS, the Buick Verano plus the GMC Terrain.
GM spokesman Alan Adler said that the issue has been identified as the system failing to alert the OnStar call center in an accident that the vehicle’s airbags are not deployed, like a rear-end collision.
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The livery variant of the XTS is powered by a 300 HP 3.6-liter V6 coupled to a six-speed transmission and it returns 17 mpg city and 28 mpg highway.
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Three-time world Formula 1 champion Jackie Stewart gave it its “Green Hell” nickname. Niki Lauda nearly lost his life in a fiery accident at the 1976 Grand Prix. The Austrian, however, was lucky as 68 drivers perished in accidents during those years. The Nordschleife was subsequently banned from the F1 calendar.
The track stretches across 12.9 miles (20.8 km) and incorporates 73 corners, most of which call for experienced drivers. If you get it wrong, you’re more likely than not to end up in the Armco, in which case, not only will you have to fork out money to repair your vehicle, but also to fix any damages you may have caused to the circuit.
Every once in a very rare while, though, we get the opportunity to take a look at early prototypes that either inspired or led to the finished product.
Such is the case with this scale model of a design prototype that was created by the team responsible for the styling of the all-new 2013 Cadillac ATS compact saloon, which goes on sale in the U.S. this month.
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In order for GM to be able to manufacture the ATS, the plant underwent a $190 million upgrade and a second shift was added, with the company claiming that 600 jobs were either created or retained lifting the total headcount to 1,643 salaried and hourly employees.
"This is a car with a big mission, and it’s been comprehensively prepared for that mission," said Don Butler, vice president of Cadillac Marketing, evidently referring to the positioning of the ATS in the lucrative, but difficult to break into, premium compact saloon category with rivals such as the BMW 3-Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Lexus IS and Audi A4.
A report from Automotive News (sub. required) citing sources from within General Motors outlines Cadillac's plans for the 2013-15 model years.
According to the insiders, GM has given the green light for the development of a full size, rear-wheel drive luxury sedan that will sit atop of the range rivaling the Audi A8, BMW 7-Series, Jaguar XJ and Mercedes-Benz S-Class.
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The campaign is named “Cadillac ATS vs. the World" and it consists of a series of films showing GM's BMW 3-Series rival in various parts of the globe, from the deserts of Morocco, to the streets of Monaco and the Guoliang Tunnels in China.
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Cadillac claims to have engineered the ATS to be "the lightest compact luxury sports sedan", something it achieved through the use of what it calls "smart materials".
These include the aluminum hood, magnesium engine mounts, specially engineered straight steel links with lightening holes for the rear suspension, and laminated windshield and side windows.
“Smart material selection and styling modifications that reduce complexity are key enablers in our quest to reduce vehicle mass,” said Bob Boniface, Cadillac exterior design director. “As consumer demand for more features, space and comfort continues to increase, so too has our proficiency in designing vehicles that offer aerodynamic performance and efficiency equivalent to lower vehicle weight,” he said.
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Cadillac's new entry-level sedan will be offered with a choice of three powerplants, with prices starting at $33,990, including destination charges, for the base rear-wheel drive version propelled by a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter inline-four producing 200HP and 188 lb-ft (255Nm).
The wreath and crest brand says that the base model's highway fuel economy will be "well over 30 mpg".
Moving up a step in the range will get you GM's new 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder unit rated at 270-horses and 260 lb-ft (353Nm) of torque, with this version priced from $35,795, including destination. Buyers will be able to choose between 6-speed manual and automatic transmissions, as well as rear- or all-wheel drive.
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Cadillac's semi-autonomous technology is named "Super Cruise" and it is capable of fully automatic steering, braking and lane-centering in highway driving under certain optimal conditions. The automaker said that the system could be ready for production vehicles by 2015.
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We also discovered a somewhat incomplete table on Cadillac's consumer website, which compares the ATS 2.0-liter Turbo to the new 2012 BMW 328i that's powered by a 2.0-liter force-fed four as well.
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