After brief opening remarks from General Motors CEO Dan Akerson, head of design Ed Welburn, and President of GM North America Mark Reuss at the College for Creative Studies, America's biggest automaker dropped the sheets off the Cadillac of compacts — the 2013 ATS ahead of tomorrow's Detroit Auto Show.
As we said earlier today when we first showed you the press photos and gave you all the powertrain details, this smaller-than-a-CTS four-door aims to — for the first time in a generation (still trying to forget the god-awful Cadillac Cimarron from the 80s) give General Motors a real-life, honest-to-God "compact" luxury sedan.
As we said earlier, it's as "compact" as any "compact" can be these days. But, despite the added size slapped atop every car being unveiled these days, the ATS stacks up quite well against the competition.
For example, BMW's 3 Series — the oft-mentioned car the ATS is supposed to punch right in the mouth — is actually more husky than this new Cadillac.
Take a look at this great comparison put together by former-Jalop Justin Hyde for Motoramic. It shows pretty clearly what we first said earlier today — the ATS, on paper, looks like it should stack up quite well with BMW's compact four-door.
But, also as we said earlier, this isn't a game won on paper — a place where GM has often found itself claiming superiority. No, the game is won by mixing all of those winning stats with a heaping helping of brand equity and a dash of comfort and quality.
So we'll have to reserve our judgment for when we get behind the wheel ourselves.
Now all they'll need to do is give us a -V version of this and the expected coupe. Also, maybe a diesel and right hand drive version for Europe — both of which we're told are coming.
Photo Credit: Brian Williams / Jalopnik