Coupes, as a category, are less
compelling than they once might
have been, before everyone became
fxated on designs that want to make
everything a utility vehicle whether
utility is required or not, whether the
vehicle actually provides utility or not.
But in the premium segment—where,
yes, utilities are outselling sedans
in many cases, as the wealthier
apparently like higher H-points
like the rest of us—there is still an
opportunity for coupes to have a run,
especially when those vehicles are built
On the
2015
Cadillac
ATS
Coupe
They start with the platform that gave rise to the award-winning
ATS Sedan, then created a stylish, striking compact coupe that's
targeted at European competitors.
on a platform that has already been
developed for a sedan.
"This is the third car from the
performance rear-drive architecture,"
says David Masch, chief engineer,
Cadillac ATS. He's talking about the
2015 ATS Coupe. The other two are
the ATS Sedan and the 2014 CTS
Sedan.
And the compact Coupe could,
according to Jim Vurpillat, director,
Cadillac Global Marketing, break
through the single-digit percentages
that are not uncommon vis-à-vis the
sales of the sedan version of a given
car. The fact that it has a starting price—
including $995 destination—of $38,990
probably will help those numbers.
The base vehicle has a 2.0-liter direct-
injected turbocharged four-cylinder
engine. It produces 272 hp @ 5,500
rpm and 295 lb-ft of torque @ 3,000
rpm. One vehicle that Cadillac compares
that to is the BMW 428i, which also
has a 2.0-liter turbo. The performance
numbers of the BMW engine are 240 hp
and 255 lb-ft, which are comparatively
by Gary S. Vasilash
> Editor-In-Chief
AD&P; > October 2014 > FEATURE > On the 2015 Cadillac ATS Coupe > Gary S. Vasilash > gsv@autofeldguide.com
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