Global Vehicle Line Executive Dave Leone has revealed more details about the 2013 Cadillac ATS, which was launched at the Detroit Auto Show and which made its second public appearance at the Chicago Auto Show. Leone said that sometime in the future, Cadillac will provide a full-blown torque-vectoring system for the ATS in either its rear- or all-wheel-drive configurations. Torque vectoring won’t be offered when the ATS arrives at showrooms in early summer. Leone said that this is the “next step in (driveline) refinement.” The ATS torque-vectoring is considered to be a “full-blown” arrangement since it won’t be the simpler, pinch-a-brake setup that’s described as torque-vectoring by several automakers.
Rather, Leone said that the ATS differentials could deliver extra torque to an individual rear wheel (or front wheel in the case of AWD models) when necessary. Leone added that Cadillac anticipates that AWD will make up 35-40% of all ATS sales. He said that all-wheel-drive demand “is very regional.” The AWD system, which is believed to be all-new and not based on the unit presently used for the CTS, is tuned for a default torque split of 70% to the rear wheels and 30% to the fronts.
However, 100% of torque can be apportioned to either axle. All-wheel-drive models are expected to modestly shift the ATS’s BMW-baiting 50-50 front-rear weight distribution. Leone claims that AWD versions of the ATS will have around 52% of the car’s weight on the front wheels. Cadillac hasn’t talked about pricing for the ATS but Leone estimates that it will start from the mid-$30,000 range. He added that the 2013 ATS pricing will be “very competitive” when put up against the 3 Series and Audi A4. [source: InsideLine]
