Cadillac President Johan de Nysschen stated that the next-generation Cadillac ATS will address some of the issues with the current, first-generation model.
Specifically, de Nysschen pointed out the cramped rear seat room is turning away some buyers. The next-generation ATS, which will grow in size, “must address some of the criticisms on the rear seat accommodations. And it will do so”, said the executive.
The remarks came during the North American International Auto Show in Detroit last week, where he also divulged that Cadillac is working on a new model that would slot beneath the ATS. The new sub-ATS vehicle, which will be made possible by growing the ATS, will be built on a rear-drive platform and will rival a wave of new entry-luxury compact models such as the Audi A3, Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class, and — to some extent — the BMW 1 and 2 Series. Though de Nysschen confirmed that such a vehicle is in the works, he declined to put a time frame on its arrival, along with the arrival of the next-gen ATS.
Comments
So why did the first gen have this problem? Along with mainstream vehicles like the Malibu, it doesn’t seem to be an issue in the GM design process.
This is an Issue with All GM Products that Just Don’t make Dam Since at all, if you are Bench Marking the Competition, Why are you Not looking at the Total Car like the Rear Seat Space????? Why is it the Chinese got an ATS-L to fix this Problem and we Don’t???? C’mon Guys, you Finally get it where Engineering is able to flow free and you can’t get the Rear Seats Right……….
Well the ATS has several demerits with the car.
(1) Rear seat room – This is IMO an obvious over-site. When I test drove the car with a relative, she could not sit behind me although I am 6’0″ on the heavy side. I did not have the seat all the way back but in fairness, I had the seat reclined a bit while driving. The driver’s seat room is excellent and I would bought the car if I am financially able to because it was refined and fun to drive.
(2) Lack of LED on certain trims – It may not matter much to some but why we don’t have LED lights on basic and Luxury Collection? If the customer don’t want to buy the Performance and Premium collections, they should not be penalized for doing so because they are not offered on the basic and Luxury models. If Cadillac don’t want to offer HID on certain models, that is fine but little details in the luxury experience by offering them as a stand-alone option enhances the luxury experience and improves the image for Cadillac. The next generation models should have standard LED daytime running lights as standard across all collections while HIDs are available as an option for the lower collections, provided Cadillac decides to get rid of the collections in few years. The upper trim ATS looks more complete with HIDs with daytime running LEDs and makes the front end look a lot better.
(3) 2.5 Engine – Cadillac can do better than this engine. I driven this car and it has reasonable good pull but it was not breathtaking. I like to see the 1.6 Turbo engine from the Cascada in this ATS as a base engine. I can’t comment on the 3.6 but I have driven it in the CTS and that engine has a wonderful growl and has strong pull from the start. I’ll take it or leave it with this engine but with the 3.0T from the CT6, this car will be a monster and could make the ATS V-Sport easily with 350hp/360tp.
(4) The six speed auto is out of place anymore and needs to be replaced with the 8L90 8-speed transmission. This will be an excellent transmission for the 2.5, 2.0T and 3.6 engines.
Those things right there for the ATS will do wonders for the car which is an already wonderful car. There are still room for improvements and once the next generation ATS fixes those things, it could be the standard for the class and will bring in more buyers. Keep CUE, there is nothing wrong with it – if you don’t know how to work CUE, set time out of your schedule to work it. I master it within minutes and like the latest tech.
I’ve been angry about the LED running lights since the first day I got the car and saw my car is reflection. In my initial excitement I misunderstood that the basic daytime running lights that are featured on all and I mean all luxury vehicles were not included. We went with the luxury addition with lots of options. It’s a $50,000 MSRP and they couldn’t include this. I hate to say it, but there’s not a time but I don’t see other luxury cars with them that I don’t get pissed off. in my opinion my car is incredible and pretty much everyone I know raves about it. but when you see it coming down the road it doesn’t have the sizzle you see with the Audi LEDs etc. And that right there is why so many people are buying the competition compared to Cadillac. They make an absolutely incredible product but miss certain details like this or their freaking marketing. I have repeatedly contacted General Motors and scour the Internet wanting to buy the daytime running lights without the H IDs. Still nothing from GM although going on the Cadillac forms I see countless other people experienced the same discovery and frustration I did.
I agree hundred percent on the LEDs. This is when every proper luxury vehicle out there has them.When I got my ATS I was driving past some windows and noticed I didn’t have them. We have the luxury model loaded. A $50,000 MSRP. and yet Gm declines to put these on these models. We absolutely love our car, but I do get very frustrated when I see an Audi approaching me and realize I don’t have them. People of my car but when they see it coming towards them it just doesn’t have the sizzle of the new Mercedes LEDs etc. and there in lies the problem. Cadillac build this incredible car but fails on the small details. It’s things like this that Build lustre in a brand. The same goes with you absolutely and I mean absolutely pathetic marketing. where the hell are these guys coming from with this stuff? I noticed on the Cadillac forms after buying my car that I am one of many many ATS owners surprised when I saw the reflection. you got me out of a three series but cheaper out. Why? And after many people writing and calling Jim, still no kit to add the daytime running lights. The person at Gm told me they had a number of calls about this.
How can you say to not be penalized for not buying performance or premium. If you could buy the luxury and get everything we paid thousands extra for in the premium then what would be the point of the premium. You pay to play unfortunately thats how this world works. The performance and Premium stand out over the base and lux because they cost 10k+ more. I would not want to drive the same looking car but pay the 10k more than you
This present ATS is a great drivers car, and Cadillac benchmarking the BMW E46, considered by many, the best ever 3 series, is very evident, but here are the problems.
1) enthusiast and auto journalist love this car, but enthusiast and auto journalist don’t buy cars in sufficient numbers to matter
2) the E46 is a small car by today’s standards, so hence the lack of rear seat room in the ATS
The present BMW F30 and MB W205 C class are soft, comfortable cruisers, though they lack the driving dynamics of the ATS, they are both larger and comfortable cruisers, and that is what the bulk of North American customers want.
I believe the back seat issue I just a simple case of they were looking to cut weight. How do you cut weight you reduce mass and to reduce mass you cut size.
If you were cutting weight cheaply and wanted to remove where it would be least missed in most cars it would be the back seat. But they got caught here as they cut a little too much.
The back seats of most cars are used by kids or no one 75% of the time. But I think they found those who do use it and were not kids found it as a bigger complaint than they thought.
While I see it as a complaint I do not see this as a make or break on sales most times as if you want the car or not want it you are not going to base an entire sale just on a back seat in this class. In a Malibu maybe but not at this price point.
I really thing the issue here still is GM marketing as their ads are crap for this car and to me are embarrassing. I wish someone from Cadillac advertising would contact me and really asked me how I feel about Cadillac bases only on their marketing.
I got to spend time with Johnny O Connell and he has the passion for the ATS race car they need to instill in buyers. Not that damn geek driving around in the coupe in the advertising. That guy alone would keep me from buying the car.
Either way time to fix all issues as this is how you refine a car to perfection. BMW did not get the 3 series right the first time nor did Porsche get the 911 right on the first outing.
These companies have been building the same damn car for nearly 50 years with incremental changes. That is how they got them right. Cadillac came damn close on the first try and will need to time to dial in that last bit.
The ATS and the Buick Regal were built on the same 2013 Malibu platform . All have suffered from mediocre sales , as a result . The ATS and Regal utilized plushier seats and trim etc which further ate up interior space and most surely affected sales . Why would a company saddle its’ top models with the platform of its economy model ?? I bet it was to save money , right ?
This should have been very apparent when the Malibu , ATS and Regal sales started dropping . The Buick
Verano should have been 3 inches longer than the Cruze , the Regal and ATS , again three inches longer than the Malibu . A fully dressed top of the line Cruze was not much different than the price for the Verano or Malibu to the Buck Regal / basic Caddie ATS . Try defining your market segment product from the inside then the outside . What is your direct competition’s product and what are its’ strong points ? Base your platform on this not some arbitrary number by a bean counter !
are you a complete idiot or what? The ATS is built on the Alpha platform, which is a 100% totally different and unique platform that is currently ONLY used by Cadillac for the ATS and the new CTS. The Regal and Malibu are on a shared platform, that is in no way, shape or form related to the Alpha platform that the ATS rides on. Do some research before you come out spraking off like a fool.
“The ATS and the Buick Regal were built on the same 2013 Malibu platform”
You didn’t even TRY to fact-check; you just went right ahead and spewed forth a waste of energy and sewage without even getting the simple bit about the platforms right. You could have gone to Wikipedia and learned something today to give your post even the slightest bit of credibility or soundness of your argument.
Instead, you’re like a pigeon. Shitting on everything and contributing nothing.
Partner you need to do some home work and understand the ATS only shares the Alpha Platform with the CTS and the coming Camaro only. It is RWD and AWD.
The Epsilon II that the Regal and Malibu are on are shared with the XTS, Impala and Lacrosse and is a FWD AWD platform. It is not exactly an economy platform just a FWD based platform.
You need to understand the Malibu we have now was just to buy time till the all new platform is out, GM had to do the trucks first to get the income to pay for a new platform here on these models. That is why we have been left with an older Lacrosse and Regal too for a while. The Malibu we have now was locked in around 09 but delayed because of the bail out. The work on the new car started before the present car came out.
You will note now we have the Impala the Malibu will grow in size a little and the Cruze will shrink in size a little to space these cars out more.
This was not a bean counter issue. This was all about having the money from the trucks to pay for this and getting the man power to be able to redesign the car and platform. Even a company as large as GM can not redesign all their products at the same time. They just do not have that much money and that many engineers to do it. There is no automaker who can do that anymore.
Everything you say is wrong from a factual standpoint.
I do think GM should have gone with long wheel base on every vehicle, & has an ATS varient handy in China.
(Impala is by no means huge, would have been a great mid sizer. I point to this vehicle, in particular, because after driving Malibu it occurred to me that maybe GM was trying to move away from the Detroit auto-boat stigma.)
Glad I have the current ATS before it gets fat. I hope it doesn’t get too big.
I agree I have a 14. It is a compact sport sedan people. Have any of the complainer sat in the back of a 3 series? Same issue. Compact car. If you need a bigger back seat buy a CTS… I say give it an 8 speed not because everyone else has one, but only if it improves performance and or fuel economy. I do agree with the LED delete and no folding backseat on some models though. That just seems like cheap cost cutting on items that should be standard on any type of luxury car.
Unfortunately, the rear leg-room in the CTS is equally tight. I don’t understand GM wrt the CTS. They lengthen the car, but put no extra inches in the cabin. All the extra inches go only to a longer nose at the front. Pitiful.
Are you kidding me? Look up the dimensions on Cadillacs website. Actually, have you ever sat in a CTS? Not even close. “equally tight”. Hogwash..
An interesting article on MotorAuthority.com from Nysschen concerning the small sub-ATS and a 7 seat SUV as well as a small SUV under the SRX ( which he really wants to see soon ).
As reported here first:
Sub-ATS RWD sedan:
http://gmauthority.com/blog/2015/01/cadillac-boss-de-nysschen-promises-a-rwd-sedan-slotted-below-ats-opinion-desk/
What de Nysschen wants is a performance crossover:
http://gmauthority.com/blog/2015/01/a-cadillac-crossover-that-will-make-the-porsche-cayenne-blush/
Upcoming crossovers:
http://gmauthority.com/blog/2014/09/cadillacs-future-crossover-plans-according-to-brand-boss-johan-de-nysschen/
The changes will be enough to improve the numbers on the interior but I expect the outside of the car to change little.
No,no,no, the important thing is not that the Cadillac ATS has too little rear seat room and needs to grow.
No, the important thing is that the new sub ATS car has REAR WHEEL DRIVE, unlike the A3, CLA, and whatever the new BMW 2 is going to be. The Europeans are going into bland territory, while Cadillac chooses the enthusiast approach, designing cars the way God intended.
Thank you Cadillac for going RWD on even the small new entry level car slotted below the ATS.
My 2015 2.0t Performance is a great little sedan. I love Cue and the gorgeous light platinum interior. The backseat room is a big problem for sure. This can be solved by creating 3 different variations of the Alpha Platform for Cadillac and extending the ATS:
Alpha1- 107 inches (Sub-ATS Sedan)
Alpha2- 111 inches (ATS)
Alpha3- 116 inches (CTS)
The weight of these vehicles, while already very impressive and class leading, could also be drastically reduced with Cadillac’s new alloy body structure to improve handling characteristics as well as fuel economy. I’d also like to see the cold weather package, cue and navigation, and the sunroof to become an all-in-one package on the Luxury collection and standard on Performance and Premium trim levels. What’s up with the hideous painted base model rims too? This isn’t a Chevrolet Cruze. . .
Lastly, the engines are quite a drawback for the ATS. I believe that it should get all new engines based on the next generation Ecotec line with VVT, SIDI, IVVL, and potentially, DSF.
-1.6t I4 with 205HP and 220LB-FT
-2.0ttCD I4 with 220HP and 375LB-FT
-2.8t V6 with 330HP and 345LB-FT
-3.6tt V6 with 455HP and 460LB-FT
-8 Speed Automatic
-6 Speed Manual