- The entry-level ATS with 200-horsepower engine starts at $33,990
- The mid-level 270-hp model starts at $35,795
- The ATS with 320-hp V6 is offered at $42,090
- The sedan features standard rear-wheel drive and available AWD
Cadillac?s all-new compact ATS sport sedan will be priced from $33,990 including destination when it goes on sale this summer. The automaker?s memorable Green Hell Super Bowl ad showed off the ATS to many car shoppers for the first time back in January.
The ATS?s $33,990 base price includes a 200-horsepower 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine, rear-wheel drive and a six-speed manual transmission that, according to Cadillac, team up for ?well over 30 miles per gallon.? That puts the sedan on par with the Audi A4, which features a 211-hp 4-cylinder and has a base price of just under $34,000-although Audi offers a choice of manual or automatic transmissions.
Cadillac?s mid-level ATS model can satisfy shoppers interested in an automatic-or manual-transmission buyers who want more power. Priced starting at $35,795, it includes a 270-hp 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder powerplant and available manual or automatic transmissions. Also available with all-wheel drive, that model will be competitive with BMW?s latest 328i, which starts at $35,775 and also features a 2.0-liter turbo 4, albeit one that makes only 240 hp.
Topping the lineup is the ATS 3.6 with its muscular 3.6-liter V6 that puts out a healthy 320 hp. This version is designed to compete with upscale variants of the Audi A4, the BMW 3 Series and the compact Mercedes-Benz C-Class sport sedan. The ATS 3.6 starts at $42,090 with destination, Cadillac says, and comes with standard automatic transmission and the automaker?s all-new CUE information and entertainment system. Once again, prices are within $1,000 of most rivals expected to be close performance matches for Cadillac?s newcomer.
?The ATS enters a vehicle segment this year that?s one of the most competitive in the market,? said Don Butler, Cadillac?s vice-president of marketing. ?ATS will bring a distinctive presence and compelling value while offering quick, nimble, fun-to-drive dynamics that will appeal to the lifestyles of modern luxury buyers and challenge the segment?s status quo.?
Although the Cadillac ATS was officially unveiled at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show in January, most car shoppers got their first glimpse of the sedan in early February, during Super Bowl XLVI. That?s because Cadillac featured the sedan in a memorable commercial, touting its driving prowess developed from testing at Germany?s famous Nürburgring racing circuit, which was memorably called by its nickname, ?Green Hell,? in the ad.
What it means to you: The ATS looks good on paper, but a tremendous driving experience is crucial if shoppers are expected to choose it over established competitors.
