2017 Cadillac ATS Coupe – Third Time’s the Charm

Cadillac had quite a go when we come to the entry level luxury segment or compact executive saloons. It tried its luck in 1981 with Cimarron and failed miserably as buyers were able to see behind the badge and there they saw Chevy Cavalier and Oldsmobile Firenza, not something that luxury brand wants to connect with. After it was discontinued in 1988 Cadillac obviously went to hibernation as nothing was happening in the mentioned segment until 2005 when BLS was introduced. Americans have clearly not learned anything from Cimarron case, and BLS was a just altered version of Saab 9-3, which had outdated interior even in 2002 when it was introduced, let alone in 2005 and onward. Although BLS did feature some styling interior charm, still it was far from enough and car was a total failure.

CAME TO THEIR SENSES

Finally, if the first time was not enough, the second try was I guess, as Caddy learned something from BLS and in 2012 ATS was revealed as finally proper luxury Cadillac product. When it was introduced, it looked as smaller and more modern version of bigger CTS as it should be, and it set some styling cues that next generation CTS followed. In 2014, coupe version debuted, and after three years we think that 2017 Cadillac ATS Coupe still retains that sharp looks and the charm from the beginning.

LOOKS

The first thing that comes to your mind when we’re talking about visual aspects of new Cadillacs is sharp and sharper. This thing is no exception, and it is sharp all over the place. But that doesn’t mean that it is not elegant at the same time, cause it is.

Also, it has its fair share of chrome, but far from tacky “bling” that we are used seeing with some Caddy’s in the past. It is definitely smart and sleek looking coupe, but compared to the competition it looks like as Americans have not put enough effort. It appears as sedan which lost two doors, while BMW 4 Series, Audi A5 or Merc C-Class Coupe apparently received more attention from their design teams.

CABIN

It is finally proper Cadilac’s cabin. Clear, stylish, elegant and primarily well put together. High-quality materials just complement the whole positive picture. The central console is incredibly sleek and polished with large 8-inch screen and total absence of buttons and knobs. While that might appear remarkably appealing to eyes, it is far from appealing to use.

Touch sensitive controls are opposite of fastness and easiness of use compared to traditional buttons and are the cause of great frustrations when used on the move. As for comfort and space, this is a coupe so avoid looking at space figures, as the rear bench is cramped and nobody would like to drive there more than necessary, and the cargo area is one of the smallest in class with 10.4 cubic feet.

PERFORMANCE

There are two engine options and both are pretty decent. The base is turbocharged 2.0-liter producing remarkable 272 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, enough to take you to 60 mph in brisk 5.6 seconds.

You can lower that to 5.4 seconds with bigger 3.6-liter V6 boosting 335 hp and 285 lb-ft of torque. There are actually more options on this front, but we separated it due to its brutality. Creme de crème of this coupe would be its V version with the same V6, but in this case, 470 hp and 444 lb-ft that accelerate you to 60mph in 3.9 seconds.

ATS-V is a monster that managed to tear apart BMW M3 and Merc AMG C63 S across many race tracks in its sedan shape, but you don’t have to go that far for some driving pleasure. Even without V, you can enjoy its light body, responsive and quick steering, decent brakes and plenty of grip. It is a true derivative of the sports sedan, and it leads the pack with BMW’s 4 Series and Jag’s XE.

CONCLUSION

2017 Cadillac ATS Coupe is quite an alluring choice in the segment. It has its flaws, but certainly, it has its charm also. It is a coupe in the first place, and it drives astonishingly as the prime thing, all while not restraining you from expected segment luxury. The best thing is starting price of $37,000, which is beneath any rival and still not depriving you of anything because of that.

2017 Cadillac ATS Coupe Video