2013 Cadillac ATS Sedan

The 2013 Cadillac ATS interprets Cadillac’s Art & Science design language in a new proportion, tailoring the signature styling and refinement cues for the most compact Cadillac while upholding and advancing the exemplary attention to detail and technological elements for which the brand is known.

The vehicle’s long, 109.3-inch (2,775 mm) wheelbase and wide front/rear tracks are the cornerstones of the ATS’s firmly planted stance, which is enhanced by short overhangs and taut sheet metal that appears to wrap tightly around the tires. Seventeen-inch wheels are standard and 18-inch wheels are available.

The ATS features bold vertical lighting elements — including new LED front signature lighting detail — as well as illuminating door handles and active grille shutters, which lend technologically advanced style and function to the vehicle ATS. The grille shutters close at certain highway speeds to reduce aerodynamic drag and enhance fuel economy.

High-intensity discharge headlamps with Adaptive Forward Lighting are available on models with the 2.0L I4 turbo and 3.6L V6 engines.

For the 2013 (launch) model year, exterior colors include:

• Radiant Silver Metallic
• Black Raven
• Black Diamond Tricoat
• Crystal Red Tintcoat
• White Diamond Tricoat
• Thunder Gray ChromaFlair
• Opulent Blue Metallic
• Glacier Blue Metallic
• Silver Coast Metallic
• Summer Gold Metallic

Being a car that aims to delight the driver, the ATS features a cabin that complements its exterior elements and supports the ATS’s driving experience, with a driver-focused interior with integrated technology and crafted materials. Everything from the placement of the pedals to the position of the shifter is designed for effortless and intuitive performance driving. Available performance seats have power-adjustable bolsters to optimize lateral support during high-load cornering.

Contributing to the interior’s intuitive feel is an instrument panel that wraps into the doors and a center stack in the mid-instrument panel that flows into the center console. LED lighting for the gauge cluster enables clear, at-a-glance viewing in all lighting conditions, while ambient lighting accents functional elements of the console and doors.

The ATS features real wood, metal plating, and carbon fiber trim, as well as Cadillac’s cut-and-sew instrument panel, console, and doors. Choices of many interior color themes, each with unique accent trim material, cover a wide range of flavors — from light, open and warm to black and serious, to bold, technical and sporty.

For the 2013 (launch) model year, interior color and trim choices include:

• Jet Black with Jet Black accents
• Morello Red with Jet Black accents
• Light Platinum with Brownstone accents
• Caramel with Jet Black accents
• Light Platinum with Jet Black accents

Additional interior features include:

• Bluetooth phone connectivity with voice recognition
• USB, auxiliary and SD memory card ports
• SiriusXM Satellite Radio with three-month trial subscription
• Keyless access and keyless push-button start
• Reconfigurable 5.7-inch instrument panel cluster display
• Full-color reconfigurable head-up display
• Leatherette or leather seating surfaces

CUE Infotainment System

The ATS is offered with Cadillac User Experience (CUE) — a new, comprehensive, in-vehicle infotainment system that, according to Cadillac, “merges intuitive design with auto industry-first controls and commands for information and entertainment data”. The system can be equipped with or without navigation, and is designed to be unique for each consumer, from the “simple user” to the fully-connected “super user.”

CUE pairs entertainment and information data from up to 10 Bluetooth-enabled mobile devices, USBs, SD cards, and MP3 players with a vehicle infotainment system that aims to reduce complexity through customized information, voice commands, and fewer buttons and larger icons. For example, most of today’s luxury cars have around 20 buttons controlling the radio and entertainment functions. CUE has only four — a factor that has also contributed to criticism of the system.

At the heart of CUE is the eight-inch LCD multi-touch sensitive screen. The display is integrated into the top of the central instrument panel. A motorized, fully capacitive faceplate at the bottom conceals a 1.8L storage area.

The LCD screen displays CUE’s home page, which resembles a smart phone’s screen. The system uses large, easy-to-target icons to execute commands. The screen uses capacitive technology, which uses electrodes to sense the conductive properties of objects, such as a finger.

Navigation System

A navigation system is also available with Luxury and Performance Collections and standard with the Premium Collection.

Bose Sound System

A seven-speaker Bose sound system is offered on the standard model, as well as on Luxury and Performance Collections. The sound system is standard with the Premium Collection.

The 2013 ATS offers three engines in North America, including:

• 2.5L four-cylinder (LCV) as standard
• 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder (LTG)
• 3.6L naturally-aspirated V6 (LFX)

All of the engines feature direct injection and dual overhead camshafts with continuously variable valve timing, which help optimize power and efficiency, as well as reduce emissions. And all of the engines are matched with six-speed transmissions, including the Hydra-Matic 6L45 automatic with tap-shift control, and a six-speed manual transmission is available with the turbo engine.

Having been fully redesigned for use in 2013 model year and newer vehicles, the four-cylinders represent the next-generation of General Motors engines. Meanwhile, the award-winning 3.6-liter V6 LFX has proven itself in vehicles all over the world.

The 2.0L turbo LTG is the latest in a series of GM’s technologically advanced and high-output turbo engines. At 136hp/L, the motor is one of the most power-dense engines in the industry, topping engines from European competitors. It is offered with a manual transmission — a combination that’s often unavailable in some luxury cars.

Cadillac made efficiency a priority when engineering the ATS with the new four-cylinder engines. The engines’ efficiency was achieved partly through lower engine friction, which was reduced by up to 16 percent using new technologies such as a variable-displacement oil pump and, in the 2.5L LCV, an actively-controlled thermostat. Cadillac proprietary Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis techniques were used to develop an all-new combustion system with a higher compression ratio, which also helps boost efficiency.

Platform

The ATS rides on an all-new rear-wheel drive vehicle architecture dubbed Alpha. The platform was designed from the ground up to provide class-leading driving dynamics and safety.

Balance

Two notable hallmarks of the ATS are remarkable proportions and balance. To achieve a 50/50 front/rear weight distribution and a superior power-to-weight ratio, the vehicle features a low curb weight of less than 3,400 pounds (1,542 kg) as well as three power-dense and lightweight powertrains. Those qualities are complemented by wide front and rear tracks — 59.5 inches (1,512mm) in the front and 60 inches (1,548mm) in the rear — for a lower center of gravity that promotes greater stability.

Braking

Four-wheel disc brakes are standard on all models, with Brembo performance brakes available on the standard model and included on the Luxury, Performance and Premium collections. They are matched with a four-channel ABS system that is integrated with standard StabiliTrak stability control and full-function traction control.

Low vehicle mass and optimal brake sizes give the ATS braking performance that is among the best in the segment, with Brembo brakes contributing to 60-0 (mph) performance of approximately 129 feet (39.3 meters).

Suspension

Up front, a multi-link MacPherson strut suspension uses a double-pivot design for a more precise feeling of control, including more linear and communicative steering and a smoother ride. It also improves impact isolation on bumps and rough surfaces.

The double-pivot system incorporates a pair of ball joints and lower control links that replace a conventional wishbone at each wheel. The optimal balance of ride and handling is achieved via a suspension geometry that decouples road inputs by integrating a soft fore/aft “ride link” that provides greater isolation from impacts and a stiff, laterally positioned “handling link” for more direct steering feel and quicker lateral response.

The control arms, the spindle, and the body form an effective four-bar link for each side of the front suspension, creating virtual pivot points for reduced spindle length and significantly reducing steering wheel feedback due to wheel impacts and imbalance. There is also a direct-acting stabilizer bar.

The front suspension’s design also enables a shorter spindle and positive-offset steering geometry for optimal steering control, excellent straight-line stability and a more refined ride. High-durometer rubber and hydraulic bushings are used with the front suspension for an excellent balance of ride comfort and precise response when cornering.

At the rear of the ATS is the first five-link independent suspension in a Cadillac. The design helps reduces roll center motion, enables positive lateral control, reduces “squat” during acceleration and promotes excellent dynamic stability. In short, according to Cadillac, the setup helps keep the tires planted on all surfaces and during all hard-cornering maneuvers.

Four handling links (upper and lower control arms) are used at each side to control wheel motion and a toe link at each wheel provides additional horizontal control — particularly during hard cornering. The upper and lower links create an effective double-wishbone design, although the links are mounted independently. As with the front suspension, the five-link design creates virtual pivot points that the ATS’s engineers used for geometry optimization. The stiff links are mounted on a cradle that contributes to a smoother, quieter and more isolated ride. The cradle is made of steel (with hydroformed side rails) to help optimize the car’s structural stiffness and mass.

Seventeen-inch (17×8-inch) wheels used with 225/40-series tires are standard and 18×8-inch wheels and 255/35-series rubber are offered with run-flat tires. Models with the FE3 suspension feature 18×9-inch rear wheels.

A mechanical limited-slip differential is a feature not matched by any other competitors and gives the ATS an edge when it comes to ensuring all of the powertrain’s torque is applied to the tires during hard cornering. It is standard with the six-speed manual transmission and included with the FE3 sport suspension package. It is housed in a robust 8.6-inch carrier. Other models feature a 7.67-inch carrier.

Magnetic Ride Control & FE3 Sport Suspension

Supporting the ATS’s new suspension designs are advanced damping, steering and braking systems, including Magnetic Ride Control, which is the heart of the FE3 Sport Suspension package (included on the Premium Collection). The package includes a mechanical limited-slip differential, high-capacity cooling system and 18-inch summer-performance tires. Magnetic Ride Control is a real-time damping system that delivers more precise body motion control. It “reads” the road every millisecond and can change damping in only five milliseconds.

Adjustable settings for the FE3 suspension allow the driver to select different ranges of damping for Magnetic Ride Control, including a competitive mode that also adjusts the intervention of the stability control and traction control systems.

Steering

All ATS models come with a premium electric, variable-assist power steering gear from ZF Steering Systems. It is designed to deliver excellent response and on-center characteristics, while also saving fuel because engine power isn’t directly required to assist gear movement — as is the case with conventional hydraulic systems.

The steering gear has great torsional stiffness and lower operating friction, which enhance the steering feel with almost perfect linear response. Additionally, the steering column and intermediate shaft feature stiff, direct-acting, and low-friction ball bearing designs, meaning that there is almost no “lash” in the entire steering system, for a more immediate and connected-to-the-road feel for the driver.

Safety in the ATS is based on Cadillac’s “control and alert” strategy that employs advanced technologies — including radar, cameras and ultrasonic sensors — to help prevent crashes.

The safety features bolster driver vision and awareness of road hazards, and intervene to help the driver avert potential crashes. In some cases, Cadillac’s advanced crash-avoidance systems will act without the driver. For instance, automatic braking will be engaged based on information indicating potential hazards.

Among the most sophisticated features on the ATS is Front and Rear Automatic Brakes. The feature relies on short-range radar technology and ultrasonic sensors to help the driver prevent front and rear low-speed collisions via a progression of alerts that extend to complete braking, if necessary.

Optional advanced safety features include:

• Full Speed Range Adaptive Cruise Control
• Intelligent Brake Assist
• Forward Collision Alert
• Brake Pre-Fill Automatic Collision Preparation
• Lane Departure Warning
• Side Blind Zone Alert
• Rear Vision Camera With Dynamic Guidelines
• Adaptive Forward Lighting
• Hill Hold/Start Assist (standard with manual transmission)

The advanced technology safety features complement the ATS’s roster of other safety features, including eight standard air bags (10 with optional features), safety belt pretensioners and load limiters, StabiliTrak electronic stability control system with traction control, and four-wheel disc brakes with four-channel ABS.

OnStar

OnStar is the global leading provider of connected safety, security and mobility solutions and advanced information technology. The ATS features one year of OnStar Directions and Connections service standard.

OnStar’s RemoteLink Mobile App allows smartphone users to control vehicle functions, access vehicle information and send directions directly to the vehicle. A new, opt-in service called FamilyLink allows subscribers to stay connected to loved ones by checking the location of their vehicle online or by signing up for vehicle location alerts.

ATS features new OnStar button icons, with the Hands-Free Calling button, blue OnStar button, and red Emergency button all having a new look.

The ATS is offered in standard, Luxury, Performance and Premium trim levels.

The ATS also offers three engines: a naturally-aspirated 2.5L four-cylinder, a turbocharged 2.0L four-cylinder, and a naturally-aspirated 3.6L V6 (exclusive to North America). All three deliver strong power and capitalizes on the car’s lightweight structure to complement its performance with efficiency. The 2.5L motor is standard, while the 2.0L turbo I4 and 3.6L V6 are optional. The 2.0L turbo four-banger is rated at 272 horsepower (203 kW) and Cadillac’s award-winning 3.6L V6, estimated at 321 horsepower (239 kW).

Following are all of the RPOs, or Regular Production Options, available when GM builds a 2013 ATS Sedan.

The high-performance variant of the Cadillac ATS, dubbed ATS-V, will debut at a later date. It will likely be powered by a tuned version of GM’s 3.6-liter twin-turbo V6 LF3 engine while featuring myriads of performance enhancements.