Baby rear-wheel drive Caddy on the way
Sub-ATS to rival Mercedes CLA, Audi S3 and future BMW 1-Series sedanCadillac’s head of engineering has let slip that his premium US car-maker is secretly developing a sporty, rear-wheel drive sedan that will slot into the range below the current ATS.
"We are working on something below ATS," said Cadillac’s Dave Leone, speaking to US magazine Road & Track at the Detroit motor show.
Refusing to reveal any more details, Leone ruled out the new small Caddy being front-wheel drive.
"One of our strengths in sedans is that we are known for being rear-wheel drive." Leone added.
Thought to be based on the current Alpha platform, that underpins both the ATS and bigger still CTS, the new car has been rumoured, by Road & Track, to draw engineering expertise from Chevrolet’s Camaro.
“If Chevy can figure out how to sell a RWD Camaro for US$26,000, it stands to reason Cadillac could make the case for a US$30,000 car off the same platform.
If true, the new small Cadillac could help spearhead the US brand’s arrival in Australia, that’s now been pushed back to 2021.
The Cadillac ATS-V sedan meanwhile gets a new twin-turbo V6 that pumps out an estimated 340kW and 603Nm, giving the car a top speed of 300km/h and accelerating from 0-100km/h in around 4.0 seconds flat.
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