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Cadillac ATS sedan is in its last year

Cadillac has just confirmed that the ATS Sedan dies at the end of the 2018 model year. In an e-mail to CarBuzz, spokesman Donny Nordlicht wrote, "Production of the ATS Sedan is ending due to extensive plant upgrades, expansion and re-tooling to prepare for the next generation of Cadillac sedans." The admission confirms several months of deduction based on a document trail put together by The Truth About Cars. Last December, TTAC reported that General Motors didn't list a 2019 Cadillac ATS sedan on VIN documents submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Only the coupe remained, the presumption being that 2018 would be the last year for the sedan. That presumption was bolstered by industry sleuth Bozi Tatarevic's discovery this week that GM hasn't included the ATS sedan in the carmaker's fleet order guide. The death of the four-door ATS won't surprise anyone paying attention to statements from Cadillac or ATS sales figures. Brand then-president Johan de Nysschen strongly hinted last summer that three sedans would bite the dust come 2019, and one would be refreshed. We've seen the gussied-up CT6, so that put the XTS, CTS, and ATS in the funeral home. The XTS would die an unavenged death, while the CTS downsized into the properly midsized CT5 and targeted buyers in the $35,000 to $45,000 range, overlapping with $34,595 ATS sedan pricing by doing so. The ATS would go on hiatus, eventually resurrected as a compact luxury offering possibly called CT3 in coupe form and CT4 as a sedan sometime around 2020. As for the market situation, ATS sales are up 7.3 percent in the U.S. through the end of April this year compared to 2017. However, the ATS sold only 13,100 units in the U.S. in 2017, compared to 21,505 units in 2016 and a high of 38,319 in 2013, its first full year on sale. Assuming new Cadillac president Steve Carlisle stays the predicted course, GM might keep the ATS Coupe as a lure to sporty buyers in the segment until a possible CT5 coupe arrives. Otherwise, Nordlicht's e-mail said "Cadillac's future sedan portfolio will consist of three sedans, positioned in different segments and clearly differentiated by size and price." The 2019 ATS Coupe will stick with its three current engines, the 2.0-liter turbo with 272 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, the 3.6-liter V6 with 335 hp and 285 lb-ft, and the 3.6-liter twin-turbo V6 in the ATS-V with 464 hp and 445 lb-ft of torque.

All-new 2019 Cadillac XT4 crossover debuts in New York

Cadillac spent years and years improving its mainline sedans, the CTS and ATS, turning them into awfully good impressions of BMWs from a few years before. The thing is, great sedans aren't selling, and crossovers sure are. Cadillac's XT5 is the only crossover in the lineup, something that's had American Cadillac dealers gnashing their teeth and wailing — although anyone they can upsell into an Escalade can staunch the bleeding. That brings us to the new XT4, which is smaller than the XT5 but even sharper than its bigger sibling. Let's take a closer look at this new two-row luxury crossover. For one, it's based on what Cadillac calls a unique platform. That may be true, technically, although it's likely related to the Equinox/Terrain on some level. Platforms are becoming quite flexible: Look at Volkswagen's MQB, under everything from Euro hatches smaller than our Golf to the three-row Atlas. Whatever else it is underneath the skin, all XT4s will share one powertrain: the corporate 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four, paired to a nine-speed automatic transmission. View 14 Photos The engine puts out a healthy 237 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, putting it just a hair underneath its closest domestic rival, the Lincoln MKC with the 2.0-liter EcoBoost. Of course, the 2.3-liter MKC beats the XT4 handily, but that's another story. Power is produced with the help of a twin-scroll turbocharger. All-wheel drive is available, with a driver-selectable rear axle disconnect to save a small amount of rolling friction. Cadillac estimates it'll be good for 30 MPG on the freeway, but we haven't seen official results to confirm that. A few other changes that'll affect driving: electro-hydraulic brake assist, a first for Cadillac and mainly a fuel-saving measure; and Continuous Damping Control, which alters the damper's valve continuously based on a number of parameters. It's almost certainly used here because it's lighter and less expensive than air suspension or MagneRide, and it is optional on XT4. CDC or no, all XT4s utilize a front strut and five-link rear suspension. All XT4s also ride on 18-inch wheels in various designs. The trim strategy is mildly interesting. The base model is the Luxury, and then you can choose a Sport (black exterior trim, unique wheels) or a Premium Luxury (bright trim and satin-brushed accents). The interior options are suitably upscale and premium, and we'll have more to say about them a little later when we can see this car up close.

Cadillac is returning to endurance racing with a new prototype in 2017

In two months, Cadillac will return to top-tier endurance racing with its all-new Daytona Prototype International racecar after 14 years away. The car, which adheres to IMSA's new DPi regulations, looks as long, low, and Cadillac-like as anyone could have hoped. It's set to debut at the Rolex 24 at Daytona and will compete head to head with the likes of Mazda and Nissan in what is shaping up to be one of the most diverse and exciting forms of American motor racing in years. The new car will be run by Wayne Taylor Racing, the team that previously fielded the Corvette Daytona Prototype. Wayne Taylor himself has won the 24 Hours of Daytona twice, in 1996 and 2005. He now manages the team and leaves the driving duties to his two sons, Ricky and Jordan. They'll be joined in the cockpit by Max Angelelli, Wayne Taylor's teammate in 2002 at Cadillac's last unsuccessful attempt at endurance racing. To understand Cadillac's new car, officially called the DPi-V.R., you need to understand IMSA's DPi category. Basically, manufacturers are allowed to base their car on one of four chassis that follow the FIA LMP2 regulations. The chassis come from either Dallara, Onroak Automotive, ORECA or Riley/Multimatic. Cadillac will base their car on the Dallara platform. The DPi regulation differ from the LMP2 in two major ways: non-standardized engines and the ability to change certain parts of the bodywork. The DPi regulations are intended to give the variety of the top-tier LMP1 cars at a fraction of the cost. When it came to choosing an engine, Cadillac wanted to power the new car with something kinda sorta production based. The new car will use a naturally aspirated 6.2-liter pushrod V8 that shares some base architecture with the engine in the current CTS-V. While the power output hasn't been announced, expect about 600 horsepower. While that's down compared to the CTS-V, there is far less mass to move around as the Dallara chassis is a svelte 2,050 lbs. Since all the teams will be running different engine configurations, expect restrictors of some sort to help balance the power disparity. The parts of the body work that can be modified - The nose, sidepods, rear wheel arches and rear valance - have all been designed to mimic Cadillac roadcar design elements. Even the wheels look like they were pulled straight from the CTS-V. The front splitter, the floor, and the diffuser are common elements shared with other DPi cars.