Just one question: how is Cadillac competing with the vehicles pictured below?
The short answer is that it’s competing with them with its compact ATS. To an extent, that answer would be correct.
But the more involved reply is that Cadillac should compete better by offering a sports appearance package on the ATS.
More Than Just Black-Out
Late last year, we opined that Cadillac should offer a “black out” appearance package to better serve customers who want less chrome bits on their vehicles. Then, our rationale was that the popularity of such black out appearance packages is on the rise, with BMW, Audi and even Lexus all offering the chrome-delete packages.
We’d still like to see Cadillac offer black-out packages on all of its vehicles. But the sports appearance package we’d like to discuss here take that a step further.
The Theory
The proposition is simple: offer an optional appearance package that offers a more aggressive appearance.
The Reason
We’ve done a bunch of thinking and a lot of research as well. But, just like the theory, the reasoning is also quite simple and is made up of two primary reasons:
- A growing number of today’s modern luxury car buyers want vehicles that help them stand out from the crowd. Sporty appearance packages achieve precisely that.
- The competition is already offering these kinds of packages to their buyers. Cadillac isn’t, putting it at a significant competitive disadvantage that ultimately negatively impacts sales.
The Competition
Speaking of a competition disadvantage, let’s have a look at what the competition is offering.
Mercedes-Benz C300 Sport Package – $2,175 option:
- AMG body styling
- 18-inch AMG 5-spoke wheels
- Sport-tuned suspension
- Perforated front brakes with painted calipers
- Sport interior
- Sport steering wheel
- Topstitched MB-Tex upper dash trim
- Brushed aluminum pedals
Audi A4 S-Line with Sport Plus Package – $2,500 option:
- 19″ 5-arm-Rotor-design Titanium wheels with 255/35 summer tires*
- Black optic exterior trim
- Black cloth headliner
- Three-spoke flat-bottom multifunction sport steering wheel
- Four-way power lumbar adjustment
- Audi drive select
- Sport suspension
- Sport front seats
- Note that the Sport Plus Package is the $2,500 option, since the S-Line appearance package is now standard on all A4s since the 2014 model year
Lexus IS250 F Sport – $3,585 option:
- F SPORT front fascia
- F SPORT grille
- F SPORT 18-inch split five-spoke alloy wheels
- F SPORT-tuned suspension
- LFA-inspired gauges
- Aluminum pedals
- Black headliner
- Bolstered sport seats
- Perforated leather-trimmed shift knob
- Perforated leather-trimmed steering wheel
- Silver performance interior
Cadillac’s chief rival, BMW, takes this concept a step above the rest and offers two individual packages on the popular 3 Series, with one being more aggressive than the other.
BMW 3 Series Sport Line – $2,500 option:
- 18″ Light Alloy Wheel Double-spoke Style
- Multifunction, Sport Leather steering wheel
- Black high-gloss kidney grille
- Anthracite headliner
- Sport i-cluster instrument panel
- Black high-gloss exterior trim
BMW 3 Series M Sport Line – $3,400 option:
- 18″ star-spoke 400M wheels
- M steering wheel
- Aerodynamic kit
- Anthracite headliner
- Sport instrument cluster panel
- Shadowline exterior trim
The Implementation
The goal is to give buyers the option of making their “mainstream” luxury car look even better than it already does in stock form by adding more aggressive bits from the go-fast models such as the Mercedes-Benz AMG, BMW M, Audi RS, and Lexus F vehicles. In fact, some of the vehicles of competitors look just like their high-performance variants of the same model. The only thing they lack are the more potent powertrains.
The way we see it, Cadillac could go two ways to bring this to market, in a way mirroring what BMW offers:
The first involves offering the parts it offers as official accessories, which very few buyers know about, as a bundled package installed on the vehicle at the factory. The second involves taking things to another level by offering the body kit from the ATS-V.
We’ve taken the liberty of imagining what equipment such vehicles would have, how much they would cost, and how they would look.

Proposed Cadillac ATS Sport Appearance Pack
Option 1 – “ATS Sport Appearance Pack” $2,500:
- Black chrome mesh upper and lower grilles
- Spoiler kit
- Black rear bumper fascia molding
- Ground effects
- 19-inch double-five spoke black wheels
- Except for the grilles, all of these items are offered today as individual accessories. All Cadillac would need to do is bundle them together as a single package installed on vehicles during production
Option 2 – “V Appearance Pack” – $3,500:
- Literally, the appearance of the ATS-V, perhaps without the hood air extractor

Proposed Cadillac ATS-V Appearance Pack
The Benefits
Where do we even begin? This is a no-lose proposition with benefits to the customer and to Cadillac.
Customer Benefits
- Not everyone wants a ton of power in their luxury car; but they want their car to look like it means business
- Allows customers to get a vehicle they want without having to deal with buying and installing individual accessories, even if it’s through a dealer
- Add those up and watch customer satisfaction notch up a point or two
Cadillac Benefits
- Charge more, make more
- Gain higher customer satisfaction
- Enjoy more attention from observers on the street (hey, that Cadillac looks sick, bro!)
- Elevate brand reputation
- Sell more cars
And though we’re specifically referring to the ATS family here, the appearance package concept we’ve presented here can be applied across the board to pretty much any Cadillac in production today.
A Matter Of When
All in all, Cadillac has gotten so many things right with the ATS (and CTS). In many ways, it has gotten many of the difficult things, such as driving dynamics and lightweighting, spot on. But the go-to-market strategy, specifically as it relates to vehicle customization, is nearly non-existent for both vehicles. After all, sales of the ATS and CTS are down significantly, but the competition — specifically the 3 Series, C-Class, and IS — is up, with seemingly no signs of slowing down.
To us, the question of appearance package for Cadillac models should be a matter of when?, not if?.
Agreed? Sound off in the comments.
Comments
yeees. and go work
I certainly agree, and much of this could be remedied w/ the introduction of an ATS Vsport, but I wouldn’t go so far as to offer a V appearance package that is identical to the ATS-V itself. Should be market grow too diluted w/ these V appearance package models, it’d likely take away from the significance of the V itself.
Example – the C6 Z06 was a standout until the Grand Sport debuted with Z51 appearance package that made the two indiscernible from more than 50 ft away, largely due to the widened track.
Does the M Sport or F sport “take away” from the M3/M4 or IS-F? No, it does not. That’s a fallacy that doesn’t actually pan out in real life because those who buy the high performance cars buy then for entirely different reasons than those who buy the “regular” model with an appearance package.
Also, a vsport would not solve much because it would apply to one model. The goal here is to take the appearance across the range as a whole.
No the M/F Sports do not, because the M Sport package isn’t identical to the M5’s appearance upgrades, nor is an F Sport identical to the RC F. In both cases the (Insert Letter) Sport is much more understated; they are both readily discernible at first sight. This writer suggests that Cadillac should offer “Literally, the appearance package of the ATS-V”.
You’re telling me they should offer an ATS that looks exactly the same as the ATS-V save the V badge itself?
I agree that the goal here should be to offer a wider range of more aggressive appearance packages across the entirety of Cadillac’s line-up, but the scope of this article was limited to the ATS alone. That being said, I think both the CTS Vsport and ATS Vsport — if and when Cadillac finally gives us the latter — should do a better job of bridging gap between the more pedestrian base models and the Earth-shattering V models. The current CTS Vsport, for example, is a bit of a sleeper considering what lies beneath the skin.
Valid points in this article, but even more important is an engine upgrade. At the moment, the ATS can’t compete, from a performance standpoint, with the BMW 340i, MB C450 AMG sport and Audi S4. That’s a very important and profitable segment. BMW and Audi sells more 3 series M sport and S4 respectively, that they sell full blown M and RS cars
I expect a number of special editions coming of different natures coming in the next few years. They needed to get the V out and now we will see special option, paint and trims offered to keep interest up.
Chevy is doing this with the Vette and Camaro and we will see it here to.
I do not expect a lot of engine and suspension tweaks as much of the investment will be going to the replacement cars we will see sooner than you think.
You ARE aware that the 2016 CTS and ATS have an available aero kit that is exactly what you just asked for… right? Combine it with the Midnight package that’s already available, and you have literally exactly what you diagrammed up there.
A lot of sound and fury… signifying nothing. Cadillac answered before you complained on this one, guys. Check the order guides next time.
You ARE aware that the kits are for V models… right? Talking about non V cars here. Check the order guides yourself.
Wait a minute, are you talking about the ground effects kit? That is different from an aero kit (learn to use correct terminology please).
Even then, it’s an LPO. Pretty much worthless given that it is dealer installed and can’t be configured from the factory. All of 10 people are going to know about them and 1 will buy them. This is not the level of convenient customization that Cadillac needs.
Want to try your comment again?
Paul — you’re correct in saying that a grounds effect package will be available for 2016 MY ATSes. It’s an LPO option, meaning that it’s factory-made but dealer installed (not installed at the factory).
Although I do not yet know how it will differ from the body kit offered currently, I should say that the body kit will be a worthless endeavor for both GM/Cadillac and its customers unless it is offered during the vehicle build process.
It should be available on the online configurator and should be an official package for the model, with an actual name (not an RPO code). If that’s not how it’s marketed, then it’s not what we’re talking about in the article, and still keeps Cadillac at a competitive disadvantage over BMW, Benz, Audi and Lexus.
SE: Accessories are purchased at the dealer level, LPO means that it’s configured by the factory, and installed by the dealership when they receive the car. If you’re going to insult me about using correct terminology, at least get your own right.
You act as if customers are ordering their vehicles, which may be true of competing brands, but is almost nonexistent at Cadillac. Customers choose from available inventory. So no matter the name or mechanism, the kit is available, and will be installed on vehicles on the ground.
Besides, since it will also be available for installation on a vehicle that didn’t already have it, OR pre-installed, how is this not convenient?
Chris: As there isn’t a body kit available currently, I’m guessing the new one will differ significantly.
I was in the market to replace my Acura TL (adorned nicely with factory installed ground effects and rear spoiler…) with a 2015 ATS coupe but delayed my purchase because the standard ATS model was to “plain” for the money and I also anticipated the 8 speed automatic upgrade and CUE updates as well. Cadillac needs to offer some ATS-V variation of air and ground effects at least for the standard ATS model. Its supposed to be a luxury/ performance coupe offering – offer some style upgrades! Sure Cadillac needs to protect the look of the premium ATS-V but to get a larger share of sales it needs to offer something for the standard model potential buyers that are not looking to spend $20k more for the ATS-V (although I wish I could). I will wait to see what is offered for the 2016 model and again go check out the Audi A5 model and the Lexus offering before placing my order
It would be nice o be able to order a sporty appearance package on an ATS or CTS, but not having those options available is NOT the reason sales have tanked. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE CARS ARE SIMPLY NOT A GOOD VALUE!!!. The CTS was the hottest selling car on the planet, when I bought my 08, I had to order it because there were none in inventory equipped the way I wanted it. In fact there were very few in inventory anywhere. When I bought my 2011, I was lucky to find on my dealers lot that was exactly what we were looking for, a premium Coupe, and the sticker price was reasonable at $52,000. When I bought my 2014, we were able to locate a car that fit our needs, a LUXURY sedan, 2 steps down from the premium and the sticker price was $11,000 higher. Its a great car, but it is NO LONGER A GOOD VALUE. That’s why these cars are collecting dust on dealer’s lots. I hope GM execs figure this out before its too late.
Bad Idea as stated.
Here’s why: The others do it, yes- and it dilutes the brand! And I hear a few people say “no it doesn’t”, but it does.
When you create looks-only packages, you dilute the value of your performance offerings. You don’t want people “confusing” your ATS-V with an ATS. When people see the looks, they expect the rest of the package, or else they will think poorly of the brand. Conquest buyers are NOT knowledgeable about the brand, and they won’t really consider a brand until it already peaks their attention.
The fact is, BMW and Mercedes can afford to dilute their brand ever so slightly. Cadillac can’t. Most of its sales will actually be conquest buyers, and that means it gets fewer “touches” to win potential buyers over. Brand perception is built slowly and in inches, and a diluted performance image slows down the ability for the company to build a strong brand.
On top of that though, I’m a little confused by this article. If you go to “build your own” BMW, the M-Sport includes SPORT SUSPENSION and SPORT SEATS. In fact I have a BMW M-Sport, and while it looks better than a regular version, I bought it for the performance boosts to separate myself from “those” BMW owners. I also owned an AMG Appearance SLK that had AMG Badges. at least the M-Sport doesn’t put the “M” badge all over the place. the AMG Appearance package on the SLK was a little silly.
What I would be OK with doing is creating a V-Sport package or a “Sport Package”. Appearance only will only help Cadillac appear as a sham. Instead, make very moderate performance features and badging. Sure you’ll still “sell” it for the looks, but you can maintain your “credibility”. Stiffen up the suspension, and bolster the seats. Stiffer suspension really doesn’t cost more money. Pull some body panels that already exist and keep the cost down, and a few other “looks” items.
Now The ATS Has the “Midnight Edition” package to “black it out”.
The CTS used to have the “Summer Tire Performance Package”. Cool car but worst name ever for what it was.
Lets include the “Sport Package” and throw in a stiffer suspension, the same spoiler it already offers, the front bumper from the ATS-V, sport alloy pedals and the carbon fiber look interior. Price it around $2500.
The other thing they could do is what they do with the trucks. Take their existing accessories, tack it on the car, and sell it as a “performance” model. In this case: They already sell an add on accessory that is the enhanced brakes package, Grille, Ground Effects, Spoiler, and Exhaust. Suede steering wheel and suede shift knobs could also be thrown in the mix, as well as the sport alloy pedals. Total cost to add this from the accessory catalog is $4965. On comparible cars like the Camaro, they sell packages like this around 3500-4500. So lets assume a 40% Dealer markup and a 50% OEM markup. That means their cost for all these things is probably around $1490. Throw them on the car at build time, and you save money by cutting out a factory steering wheel, shift knob, exhaust, grille, and brakes. Lets assume that costs them only $450 for all those parts. That means their cost would only be around $1040. So they sell it for $2500-3000, $300 of that goes to the dealer, and 1200-1700 goes to them. Easy profit, no increased costs, no new parts developed, no sacrifice of existing ATS brand dilution, and enough performance gain to keep from brand dilution.
There you go GMAuthority and GM. I figured out how they can offer GMA’s recommended Sport Package to be more competitive with the Germans, without costing GM any more money, time, development, or effort, and while enhancing their gross profit potential. Your welcome.
Do you like yesterday and no it does not dilute the brand. The brand is already in trouble! Doesn’t matter how good the product is if people are not buying it.
I would love to have some of the sporty features mentioned on my ATS. My neighbors have these sort of things on their Lexis BMWs etc. I still can’t believe my luck Sharee ATS did not I would love to have some of the sporty features mentioned on my ATS. My neighbors have these sort of things on their Lexis BMWs etc. I still can’t believe my luck Sharee ATS did not come with the fancy leds!? You never see the competition without their signature daytime running lights. Cadillac really dropped the ball here.
I wrote the president three weeks ago talking about this sort of issue. Also praising the good work that they have done. I haven’t even got a form letter back?
The S line and F sport and strange M badged cars are seriously laughable to anyone who can spot the differences between the real deal. Personally I think they are stupid and are cheap ploys at more sales. And yes they definitely do take away from the exclusivity of the actual top of the line models. If Cadillac were to offer an appearance package I would be ok with it if the kit was noticeably different than the V. Lots of fakers running the game right now and Caddy dont need to join them, dont stoop to that level Cadillac, your better than that.
Man my phone’s AutoCorrect makes me look even more illiterate than I already a.m.
Couldn’t agree more but here we are almost a year after this was posted and still NOTHING from Cafillac to compete with their rivals. Are they asleep or do they really not care to compete?