The new Cadillac ATS boasts of unmatched luxury features including the CUE – a comprehensive, in-vehicle experience along with a driver-focused interior. Advanced safety and performance technologies gives added comfort to the driving experience taking the brand into the world’s most significant luxury car segment, writes Visvas Paul D Karra.
Whether it’s the 2.5 litre or the 3.6 litre V6, the all-new Cadillac ATS optimises power and efficiency giving you a compact but sporty feel. The ATS reflects a new expression of Cadillac’s art and science execution philosophy, centered on a foundation of driving dynamics and mass efficiency thanks to the all-new, lightweight rear-drive architecture. It is the most agile and lightweight Cadillac, with one of the lowest curb weights in the segment – 1,504 kg on the 2.5 litre – which we tested for our review.
The Cadillac proprietary computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis techniques were used to develop an all-new combustion system with a higher compression ratio, which also helps boost efficiency and gives the 2.5 litre around 202 horsepower and 259 Nm of torque while the 3.6 litre V6 is rated at 321 horsepower and 373 Nm of torque.
The sophisticated driving experience is enhanced with Cadillac CUE, a comprehensive, in-vehicle user experience that merges intuitive design with industry-first controls and commands for information and media data.
The heart of CUE is the eight-inch LCD multi-touch sensitive screen, seamlessly integrated into the top of the central instrument panel and a motorised, fully capacitive faceplate at the bottom concealing a 1.8L storage area. The vibrant LCD screen displays CUE’s home page, which resembles a smart phone’s screen, by using large, easy-to-target icons to execute commands. Capacitive technology refers to using electrodes to sense the conductive properties of objects, such as a finger.
A slew of safety and performance features which were ground to perfection at Germany’s famed Nürburgring give the Cadillac ATS superior safety mechanisms allowing the driver a comfortable ride both on city roads and in long distance hauls. In addition, when you switch into the sport mode, the vehicle comes entirely under the control of the driver to give you the real driving pleasure.
Apart from performance, the signature styling and refinement cues and the exemplary attention to detail and technological elements for which the brand is known are in ample display both on the exterior and in the interior.
A long, 2,775 mm wheelbase and wide front/rear tracks are the cornerstones of the ATS’s firmly planted stance, which is enhanced by short overhangs and taut sheet metal that appears to wrap tightly around the tires. Eighteen-inch wheels are standard on all models. Bold vertical lighting elements – including new LED front signature lighting detail – as well as illuminating door handles and active grille shutters lend technologically advanced style and function to the ATS. The grille shutters close at certain highway speeds to reduce aerodynamic drag and enhance fuel economy.
A driver-focused interior with integrated technology and crafted materials complements the exterior elements and supports the ATS’s driving experience. Everything from the placement of the pedals to the position of the shifter is designed for effortless and intuitive performance driving. Available performance seats have power-adjustable bolsters to optimise lateral support during high-load cornering.
Contributing to the interior’s intuitive feel is an instrument panel that wraps into the doors and a centre stack in the mid-instrument panel that flows into the center console. LED lighting for the bold gauge cluster enables clear, at-a-glance viewing in all lighting conditions, while ambient lighting accents functional elements of the console and doors.
The 2.5 litre has a seven-speaker Bose sound system but does not have the navigation system, which is only available with the Premium Collection.