2013 Cadillac ATS: The New First Impression

It can take a long time to build credibility in the automotive industry, particularly if one is fighting against the undercurrents of a history that has been sullied by a gradual decline over the course of several decades.  When Cadillac declared to the world that it was back in the luxury game with the CTS sedan in 2003, the company realized that it would take more than a single vehicle to win over the legions of premium shoppers who had long since defected to its German rivals like BMW and Audi.  One model does not a renaissance make, and roughly 10 years after the clarion call that was the CTS comes the 2013 Cadillac ATS, an entry-level four-door that proudly stands beside its now bigger brother to present a one-two punch aimed squarely at disbelievers and Europhiles alike.

All The Right Moves

Mechanically, the 2013 Cadillac ATS has been conceived to deliver the delicate balance of comfort and performance that sells so many sedans in the compact luxury segment.  Riding on a brand new platform that will also be used to underpin the larger 2014 CTS, the Cadillac ATS offers 50/50 weight distribution, available magnetic ride control adaptive suspension, optional Brembo brakes, a five-link independent rear suspension, and a curb weigh of just over 1,500 kilograms.  Add it all up and you have the recipe for a chassis that feels up to the task of taking on the segment-leading BMW 3 Series when the road turns twisty.  Indeed, the ATS inspires confidence whenever asked to rotate itself into a corner, with nary a complaint from the shock absorbers when set to their Sport mode stiffness.

• Also: Cadillac Launches the Coupe ATS at the Detroit Auto Show
• Also: Cadillac Unveils the ATS Coupe

Further enhancing the Cadillac’s performance qualifications are a trio of engine options.  I spent a week piloting the vehicle’s 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, which generates 272 horsepower and 262 lb-ft of torque, matched with a six-speed automatic transmission, but I have also had the chance to sample the vehicle’s 321 horsepower, 3.6-liter V-6, as well as its 202 horsepower, 2.5-liter base four-cylinder motor.

Cadillac expects the majority of ATS volume to leave the lot with a turbocharged mill under the hood, and regardless of whether the sedan features the automatic or its available six-speed manual gearbox, there’s a lot to like about this particular configuration of the car.  Power delivery is smooth and instantaneous in all manner of driving situations, with the four-cylinder feeling like a larger-displacement motor rather than a high-strung, boosted unit.  It’s quite possible to suddenly be going much faster than one had originally intended simply by leaning on the go-pedal a little too heavily.  The V-6’s torque delivery is even more linear, while the entry-level four turns in adequate acceleration.  All-wheel drive – a major selling point for Canadian drives – is available with both the ATS 2.0 and the six-cylinder version of the car.

Compact Sedan Is Big On Style

Of course, even a great-driving luxury car needs to come in an appealing package or no one is ever going to give it a second glance.  In this department the 2013 Cadillac ATS also delivers, cribbing next-generation Art and Science styling that does a good job of maintaining the classy, yet still vibrant feel associated with Cadillac’s hard, angular lines. Much work has been put into integrating the car’s lights front and rear with the rest of the vehicle’s body work, with the generous use of LED accents and sculpted housings showing well against the equally attractive models in its class.  Cadillac styling cues are no longer the outliers that they once were in the premium world, and their individuality serves to set the ATS apart from its rivals without resorting to more attention-grabbing design antics.

The interior of the Cadillac ATS is perhaps a bit more enthusiastic in reassuring driver and passengers that they are riding in a genuine high-class automobile, what with its abundance of leather upholstery wrapping the dash, door panels, and touch points.  The Cadillac CUE system, which is also currently available in the full-size Cadillac XTS, puts in an admirable performance as a brand-exclusive touchscreen / voice command system that provides full control over entertainment, navigation, telephone, and climate control functions.  The vehicle’s center-mounted LCD screen pushes back against one’s fingers in response to touch commands, and it even detects to the presence of a hand or digit prior to contact being made with the screen’s surface.  I found the inclusion of redundant touch controls for important functions (also on the center stack) to be a thoughtful touch, and although I wasn’t as enamoured of the steering wheel controller that interacts with the secondary LCD screen mounted directly in front of the driver, overall CUE is an excellent point of differentiation for Cadillac versus other General Motors models.

The 2013 Cadillac ATS’ cabin does conceal the car’s one major weakness: a dearth of passenger space.  Accommodations up front were somewhat snug but quite comfortable, even with the aggressive inflatable bolsters that came with my test vehicle’s sport seats.  In the rear, however, passengers are facing leg room that falls behind that of other compact luxury sedans, making it a tight squeeze for anyone in the six-foot range.

An Audience-Widening Strategy For Cadillac

The 2013 Cadillac ATS is the model that will see dealerships slowly starting to fill with buyers who would have never previously considered owning a vehicle with the wreath and crest on its grille.  Youth-friendly, but still appealing to more mature drivers thanks to its buttoned-down ride, the Cadillac ATS is well-poised to present successful professionals with an alternative to the Germanic straight-jacket that so often accompanies the search for an entry-level sport sedan.  Perhaps even more importantly, with such a range of interesting engine choices, distinctive styling, as well as handling dynamics that come close to the engagement of pricier Euro fare, Cadillac has managed to imbue the ATS with its own unique personality rather than attempting to merely mimic the successful efforts of its long-time antagonists.