We have plenty of spy photos of the upcoming rear-drive 2013 Cadillac ATS, but incognito photography rarely reveals what’s under a car’s hood. Thankfully, Cadillac stepped in and released that very information today. The ATS, which slots below the CTS in Caddy’s sedan lineup, will be available with a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter four, a turbocharged 2.0-liter four, and a 3.6-liter V-6.
The turbo four and the V-6 were expected, but the naturally aspirated four-cylinder is something of a surprise. Cadillac didn’t come out and say it, but we’re guessing the 2.5-liter is the same unit that will power some versions of the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu. We expect it will make around 190 hp in the Chevy, though Cadillac could always squeeze a bit more out of it to better differentiate it from its humble roots. As for the turbo, Cadillac says it will produce about 270 hp—the same output as the Buick Regal GS’s 2.0-liter turbocharged four. This is not, however, the same engine. Cadillac tells us it is about 95-percent new—it’s a mirror-image of the GS motor, with the intake and exhaust having switched sides. Like the other 2.0, though, it is all aluminum, and although it uses a different turbocharger (the GS uses a Borg Warner piece, the Caddy a Mitsubishi/Eaton), both cram the same 20 psi down the intake. The V-6 is GM’s latest direct-injected unit; it makes 308 hp in the Cadillac SRX and CTS and will likely top the ATS’s engine range. Magnetorheological shocks will be available, as will paddle shifters on automatic models.
The ATS was designed to go up against entry-level luxury players like the BMW 3-series and Mercedes-Benz C-class. Both of those cars gained turbocharged four-cylinders as their base engines for 2012, but the Cadillac’s mid-level turbo will handily out-power both of them. (The base 2.5-liter four’s output will even be competitive with Benz’s turbo four.) The 3.6-liter six will trump both the C-class’s 302-hp V-6 and the BMW’s 300-hp turbo six. We’re looking forward to driving Cadillac’s first small sports sedan—especially the twin-turbo V-6–powered V version—after it debuts at the Detroit auto show in January.
No comments:
Post a Comment