smk4565

The E400 hybrid makes a lot of sense, I think that will sell at a better percentage than the S400 hybrid does. E-class is mainly a V6 car, the hybrid could be an appealing option to the typical E-class buyer. My guess is the diesel-hybrid is for Europe, I'd be curious to see a hybrid on the Bluetec V6 though.

The Volt's top speed is 100 mph.

I don't want Cadillac to copy Mercedes, they obviously have to create their own identity. But I do wish Cadillac would operate globally like Mercedes does and achieve a high brand image that allows them to have pricing and profits like Mercedes has. E-class fleet sales exist mainly in Germany, and they don't hurt Mercedes there. It isn't like Mercedes is only a volume brand, they make more profit than GM does. If the E-class or the brand image was so flawed, it wouldn't have the success it has, and Mercedes as a whole is growing at a strong rate. Cadillac's strategy better not be "wait for Mercedes to drop to our level." Cadillac needs to go up after them, because in the process they should be able to crush Lincoln, Acura, Lexus and the middle of the road luxury brands.

Time to close up shop.

I don't think Cadillac should have Mercedes' sales volume, and Mercedes hasn't really "moved down market." Mercedes vehicles are usually the most expensive in the segment. C-class was their top seller in 2010 at 310,000 units, but they sold 302,000 E-classes. A-class and B-class combined were 222,000. That is their only down market car, but their competitors in Europe and China offer cars in the same class. I want Cadillac to emulate the C, E, and S-class, build a convertible/sports car, and a rear drive crossover. And to have profit margins close to those of Mercedes. Then I want to see Cadillac sell globally; Europe, Australia, China, Russia, South America, Middle East, South Africa, etc. with enough volume to keep them in business in those markets. Cadillac has to be global, if not they risk becoming Lincoln or Acura.

Daimler has a lot of brands and builds a lot of trucks, buses, vans, cars, etc. Mercedes-Benz car division though is very successful and I'm sure any other luxury car maker would want their success. Sure Mercedes has made mistakes, but right now they are the strongest they have been in 125 years and sitting in a really good position. Cadillac has some work to do to get to that level. But Mercedes trucks are the best too, the Actros just won international truck of the year for the 4th time!

Mercedes is set to sell over 1.25 million cars this year, a record for them. And they are spending $5 billion to expand the factories in China and Alabama to prepare for future growth. They are the model of what others want to be. If Cadillac wants to be like Mercedes, and not like Lincoln and Acura, they had better bring out the big guns on every product and plan globally.

They should dump that too. 2.0T can make the same power, but offer better mileage. The A6 and 5-series do turbo 4's, so the CTS certainly could. I'd like to see a supercharged 3.6 liter V6 offered in addition to the regular 3.6.

The 2.5 liter to me seems there to sell to rental companies, so I would be put off by that and the potential for it to drag down resale values of the higher level ATS. Although on the plus side, for someone looking to buy a used ATS, it could be a good deal on a V6 model.

They could do the 4-cylinder and eAssist as standard in the Imapala and LaCrosse. My thinking is though that both are rather large and heavy, especially if the Impala is bigger than the LaCrosse. So I would think a turbo 4 is better suited, even if it is 230 hp. eAssist may be needed to hit CAFE though, so I understand offering it. And V6 should be offered in Impala and Lacrosse. The Malibu can be 4-cylinder only, as long as they offer a turbo.

Mercedes and Audi (and BMW) have a turbo 4 standard. Cadillac should have a Turbo 4 standard. Mercedes put a weak engine in the C-class (it does have 229 lb-ft though) , doesn't mean Cadillac has to put a weak engine with even less torque in the ATS. The A4 has 258 lb-ft of torque, the 2.5 liter NA 4-banger isn't going to have that. I don't have a double standard, the 3 cars Cadillac is attempting to go after all use a turbo 4 for the base model, 2 of them have approximately 260 lb-ft of torque. GM has a turbo 4 with approximately 260 lb-ft of torque, why not make it the base engine. Also Mercedes and BMW have their customer base and Mercedes has high owner loyalty. The ATS is the new entrant, it needs to offer something better than what all the others have to stand out from the pack. This is a problem the Lexus IS has, it is boring, does nothing that the rest of the class didn't already do, and it is easy to forget about it.

The TSX may get discontinued though, and Cadillac shouldn't be competing with entry level Acuras anyway. The IS250 and G25 at least have a V6, so the engine would likely be more refined than an inline 4. So the power may be the same, but the delivery and smoothness may favor the IS250 and G25. And I would hope a Cadillac does have substantially more power than a Malibu, it is Cadillac! Not too long ago a Malibu had 150 hp and a Cadillac had 300 hp. Now we are down to 190 hp vs 200 hp, and the scary thing is we are comparing the ATS to a Malibu. That thought shouldn't even enter one's thought process. The Cadillac should be so much better than the Chevy no one even thinks about it. To me, a 2.0T is the engine for fuel efficient minded buyers that don't care about power. The V6 I'd like to see supercharged, especially for use in the CTS. And 300 hp might be fun, but 350 hp is more fun. Everyone likes more fun.

Tuned differently, and the Sprinter is more expensive than an ATS, CTS, or SRX. So it isn't like Mercedes is taking a low end engine, it is the engine out of a $40k+ commercial vehicle. And Jaguar doesn't make the 4.2 V8 anymore.

Agreed, and not just "perceived better" but Cadillac needs engines that actually are better.

But then a Chevy would have a better standard engine than a more expensive Cadillac ATS. And if the 2.5 liter four has adequate power for a Cadillac sports sedan, it must have enough for a Chevy comfort sedan. And a more expensive LaCrosse has a 4-cylinder without a turbo too. But I agree with you, I think the 2.0T is a better option, because that engine should get the same fuel economy as a 2.5L and Ford may put the 2.0 Ecoboost in everything they make and the Passat has a 2.0T. I also like the optional V6, this is a full size car and appeals to some older buyers who are comfortable with a V6. This is also why I don't like the XTS, it will have the same powertrain as an Impala.

The 335iS has even more, and I think it has an over boost to temporarily raise torque during passing maneuvers as well. But BMW's do tend to put up acceleration times better than one might think from the advertised horsepower and torque ratings. Knowing that though, Cadillac better watch their acceleration times.

Hmm, better make a 2.5 liter 4 banger the standard engine, because Impala owners don't are about acceleration. Who cares how slow it is, Economies of Scale! Wooohooo!

2.5 liter four is what the Camry and Altima have standard. Those are $22k cars, a Cadillac should have a lot better than that. Cadillac isn't another GM brand on the level of Chevy and Buick, it should be well above them and above Acura, Volvo, and Lincoln. The bar has to be set high. Secondly, BMW can sell 3-series on reputation alone. Cadillac does not have that luxury (no pun intended) with the ATS. They have to convince buyers who by default go to the BMW dealer to give the ATS a look. The ATS needs strong attributes, not cheap engine, cheap price if they want it to stand up to the Germans.

Diesel for power and economy. If it was a diesel 4 then more economy. But a diesel v6 could be very nice for both.

Why not put eAssist on the V6? Porsche has start-stop and cylinder deactivation on their V8, other Euro luxury brands are doing similar, the S-class has a hybrid, the 3-series and 5-series will both have hybrid sixes. An Eco model doesn't have to be super slow. This is a Cadillac sports sedan, not a Chevy economy car. I would support a diesel, because that would provide the fuel economy and solid acceleration that a Cadillac should have, and they need it for Europe and probably China, or else the ATS is a North American car, not a global car. And their top 3 competitors are global cars with diesels.

Fair enough. What would you say, then, if that engine came standard with eAssist? (no one's really discussed it, but it is a possibility) Still no, make eAssist optional on the 2.0T and V6. Sports sedan: performance first, fuel economy second.

The BMW 128, though, still has a 230hp 6 cyl in the US...don't know if it will get the 4 cyl for 2013, but the ATS will compete with the 1 series also (sort of, since a 4dr 1 series isn't offered). But why does Cadillac even care about that car, it hardly sells. The new 1-series M is said to be a really fun sports car, but it is more of a true sports car like a 370Z (but more expensive). It is a niche product, not mainstream and the ATS should only be concerned with the 3-series, C-class, and A4. That is where the sales volume is. Cadillac also needs younger buyers in a bad way. 74% of CTS buyers are over age 65, and that is supposed to be the younger person's Cadillac. Time to scare off the old people with sheer performance.

As always the haters are jealous. I think it is a nice evolution of the current car, and it incorporates the SLK, SLS, and CLS styling cues into it. They need to make it more affordable if they want more sales volume. But the Lexus SC and Cadillac XLR are dead, the SL is pretty much stands alone in the roadster class. I'd take a Jaguar XK over the Mercedes any day of the week though. The Jaguar could have an engine from a canal boat and it wouldn't matter, on looks alone it wins.

The 328i until the 2012 model was a 230 hp six cylinder, the new turbo 4 has 240 hp (and 260 lb-ft @ 1250 rpm). And it is the cheapest BMW sedan that is why you see it the most. So if for 2013, the benchmark car has a 2.0 liter turbo with 260 lb-ft, why would Cadillac match up with an engine that belongs in a base model Malibu/Sonta/Camry. This is the sort of thinking that keeps Cadillac chasing the Germans, everything they build has a compromise in it.

I thought it had 260 lb-ft of torque?