As Automotive News states, the Cadillac ATS has become somewhat of a problem child for the Cadillac brand, more so than piecing together where the hot-selling Escalade fits.
Residual values and marketshare have fallen for the ATS since its introduction, meaning it has become even more difficult to offer competitive lease programs. To fix this, AN reports Cadillac will be restructuring the ATS with new content and trims.
To start, prices will fall $650 to $1,100 depending on trim, but more content will be offered in each. Cadillac will also axe the base, 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine from the lineup, leaving the 2.0-liter turbo-four as the base powerplant.; the 3.6-liter V6 will remain the range topping engine.
For the 2017 model year, ATS customers will receive the (now) base 2.0L turbo, popular options, such as the Bose surround-sound system, for the same price as a base 2.5L ATS in 2016.
Cadillac’s goal is to load in more value without throwing even greater piles of cash on the hoods of vehicles, thus boosting resale values.
Cadillac President, Johan de Nysschen, has been working hard to fix Cadillac’s dealer supply issues all while increasing residual values. Project Pinnacle, de Nysschen’s dealer restructuring, is receiving final touches as you read this.
Comments
Good idea and long overdue.
Since Cadillac wanted pricing parity with the Germans they should have started off by offering a tangible value proposition to give potential new customers a reason to take a chance on Cadillac.
I do not know if it is to late with this gen. ATS since it faces ever stiffening competition from the likes a new A4, Giulia and XE but it certainly can’t hurt at this point.
HID lighting with vertical LED accents should be standard too. That’s what sets this car apart on the streets! ATS models without it don’t stand out and the halogens look awful. I have a ’16 CTS and everyone compliments the lighting and says it stands out. Cadillac talks about how key vertical light signatures are to the brand, so make it standard on your “volume” vehicle.
I totally agree about the LEDs needing to be standard. A full digital dash (ala CTS) should be standard on the higher end models, too. We shouldn’t see “stripped” Cadillacs anymore (beyond XTS limos). I also think they missed the opportunity to communicate with second-generation CTS owners about their price restructuring when the current CTS was released. CTS owners should have been steered toward the ATS if they couldn’t afford the new CTS.
Overall, I think the ATS is substantially underrated. It’s a fun car to drive, a handy size, and priced competitively. The crossover (i.e. lifted hatchback) craze is probably to blame for much of the sales slump. Hopefully these adjustments will be followed up with some exciting marketing geared toward those considering the purchase of a 3-series.
The crossover craze is only partially to blame since the ATS’s sales are slumping at a greater rate than that of it’s competitors.
Please change the instrument cluster for the Love Of God!
Take a look at an edgy 2014 CTS coupe, everyone does when one drives by. Then see if anyone notices an ATS of any description driving by and you will know what is wrong with the vanilla ATS. And vanilla can’t be fixed, even with a 6.2L vette engine.
@JRuss: I agree. I get a TON of stares/compliments in my 2012 CTS-V coupe. The styling sets it apart. I think the ATS, while distinctive, blends in too much to get appreciated.
I said right from the beginning the ATS is simply NOT A GOOD VALUE. That’s why it hasn’t sold. In addition to adding more standard features, Cadillac needs to be upgrade the interior and add HID headlights and the light pipes from the CTS and XT5.
Cadillac’s ATS is one of the best cars that Cadillac has ever built; but the problem is that no one knows this and the culprit is poor marketing as Cadillac needs to consider hiring the same people who does the Chevrolet commercials which are blunt and direct as they break it down to why they need to buy a Chevy and the same thing needs to happen for Cadillac.
As someone who just bought a used ATS at a great price I can say this isn’t all bad. I got into a car I might not otherwise afford and I love the thing. As my income continues to grow a new Caddy could be in the cards in a few years.