Today, in 2016, Caddy is as strong as ever, with a mighty presence on the market of luxury sedans and solid products for the last decade or so. And the latest Cadillac ATS-V 2016 is the brand’s second swift attack on Germany – I mean, on BMW, Mercedes and Audi. The first offensive operation started back in 2004, when they introduced the CTS-V, now a well-respected and loved model. Still, despite the fact that it’s pretty fast, in terms of steering response and the whole driving characteristic that we love to call “being nimble”, the behemoth just couldn’t catch up to the class-leader, the BMW M3, which is super quick in those turns and plenty fun to drive around your favorite blocks. So, this year the CTS-V is fighting for the #1 spot among midsize super-sedans, while the fresh ATS-V takes its place and is now ready to rumble and throw a couple of punches towards the M3 and its friends.
Exceptional On The Road
The standard-edition ATS has been around for a while now and the experts praised its responsive handling. And the “V” model feels even greater on the road. Have you ever heard about the Magnetic Ride Control (adaptive) dampers from General Motors? Well, they’re pretty awesome, and they come standard with the Cadillac ATS-V 2016, allowing for superb control and composure on pretty much any terrain and surface, from the sleek, cold asphalt to the bumpy city streets. So, the MRC, along with a mighty line-up of sport-tuned components is just the perfect fit for a compact car, and that’s why the brand-new ATS-V can rival the M3 on the open road with no excuses and going backs – this will be a fair fight. Now, obviously, if you REALLY wanna rival with Europe’s finest, you gotta come equipped with some impressive heat under that hood, otherwise you better turn around and leave right now. And the Cadillac ATS-V 2016 delivers, trust me.
Cadillac ATS-V 2016 – Class-Leading HP & Acceleration
Yes, it’s not a V8, but don’t get all disappointed until you get behind the wheel – it will blow you away, quite literally. So, the compact luxury sedan comes packed with a strong twin-turbocharged 3.6-lit V6 that pumps out 464 Horsepower and 445 pound-feet of torque. RWD (rear-wheel drive) is standard; as for transmission, you’ve got a choice between a 6-speed manual and an 8-speed automatic with paddle shifters. On the racetrack the latest ATS-V can zing from zero to 60 miles per hour in quick 3.8 seconds, and that’s quite an impressive result, enough to make your heart beat fast. And when it comes to economy, Caddy shows decent numbers: the Cadillac ATS-V 2016 returns 24 miles per gallon on the highway and 16MPG in the city (19MPG combined) with the automatic transmission and -1MPG with the manual one. By the way, the powertrain is borrowed from the mighty CTS Vsport, but the ATS actually has more horses (+44HP). Furthermore it’s even stronger than the M3! Yep, 39-horses stronger!
Cadillac ATS-V 2016 – The Weak Spots
How about that? Ok, and now let’s talk about the weak spots real quick: so, as you might already know, the CUE infotainment system can be a drag sometimes, with a slow response and a not-so-user-friendly interface. I believe the technological term is “unintuitive”, and you won’t find a system this outdated in the competition. The second weak side has to do with the dimensions. The backseat is really tiny, and you won’t be able to seat a couple of grown-ups in it. It’s one of the least accommodating backseats in the segment, believe it or not. Same goes for the trunk. But that’s pretty much about it for the downsides. At the end of the day the Cadillac ATS-V 2016 is one hell of a sedan and one of the strongest contestants on the market. And you’ve got only one trim to choose from, so, it’s luxury either way.
Watch this video review of Cadillac ATS-V 2016: