A Cadillac unlike before

Debuting two years after the 4-door saloon version, the 2-door Cadillac ATS Coupe arrived as a 2015 model, and is quite unlike any other Cadillac before it. Though Cadillac has been gunning for the European-style premium market for over a decade, the ATS is however a smaller, lighter, more nimble car targeting the BMW 4 series, Audi A5 and Infiniti Q60.

Said to have been benchmarked against the 1999-2006 E46 generation BMW 3 series and successor to the Saab 9-3-based Cadillac BLS, the ATS Coupe is offered in 2-litre turbocharged four-cylinder and naturally aspirated or turbocharged 3.6 V6 version, with rear- or four-wheel drive. A comfortable and easy-to-drive yet sweet handling rear-wheel drive junior executive, the tested ATS Coupe’s balanced and eager chassis proved well-suited to General Motors’ familiar high-revving 3.6-litre V6 engine.

Elegant evolution

A nicely maturing take on Cadillac’s modern Art and Science design ethos, the ATS Coupe is a considerably better reconciled, lithe, elegant and understated executive coupe than the larger but less aesthetically refined and overstated CTS Coupe. Noticeably improved from rear views, the ATS’ vertical lights are well-integrated and its vertical centre crease and side — rather than centre — exhaust tips more subtle.

Less aggressive from front view, the ATS Coupe’s wide and narrower grille, lower waistline and lower area above the rear wheel-arches, and more flowing roof emphasise its’ width. Meanwhile slim wrap-over LED headlight elements, subtly bulging bonnet and more pronounced side character line combine with a flowing roofline, and lower and longer bonnet to create a sense of motion and urgency.

Though more elegant and understated, the ATS Coupe still sports a choice of shiny alloy wheels and features bright blue instrument lighting and plenty of chrome-like cabin trim. Driven with 225/40R18 front and 255/35R18 rear footwear the ATS Coupe’s wheels nicely filled out its wheel-arches and provided a good balance of steering feel in front and grip at the rear.

Eager and peaky

Smooth, progressive and peaky, GM’s direct injection 3.6-litre V6 engine is much better suited to the ATS Coupe than the crossover SUVs in which similar incarnations have been deployed. Unlike many new long-stroke engines, this engine’s “over-square” design lends it an eager, responsive and high-revving character for more fluent driving and to allow one to precisely dial in increments of power.

Developing 321BHP at 6800rpm and 275lb/ft at 4800rpm, the ATS Coupe likes to be revved hard. Pulling cleanly from tick-over, the ATS’ delivery takes on a rising urgency from under 3000rpm until its’ 7200rpm rev limit. And with smooth and responsive shifting 6-speed automatic gearbox with manual shift mode that holds gears up to redline, the 1601kg ATS Coupe makes the 0-100km/h sprint in around 5.6 seconds.

Eager and responsive, the ATS Coupe’s high-revving engine offers excellent throttle control to allow and so feeds the rear tyres in progressive increments rather than surging and breaking traction. Satisfyingly rewarding when revved to red line, the CTS Coupe’s long-legged rev range further allows one to accelerate through a long corner in one long, fluently smooth sweep, without need for upshifting.

Balanced behaviour

With attention to weight saving and stiffer frame than the CTS Coupe, Cadillac’s compact ATS Coupe’s rigidity pays off in comfort, precision, handling and safety. Riding on MacPherson front and multi-link rear suspension, the ATS Coupe’s handling is neutral, eager and balanced. Boding well for the coming 2016 Chevrolet Camaro, the ATS Coupe is built on a shared Alpha rear-drive derived platform.

With light, precise steering and eager chassis, the ATS Coupe turns in to corners tidy and crisp. Balanced and neural, its chassis is nimble and agile, and with tall revving and responsive engine, it takes well to mid-corner on-throttle adjustments. Faithfully following a cornering line the ATS Couple winds up frantically and slingshots out of a corner, eager for the next. 

Well controlling body roll through corners, the ATS Coupe’s suspension is smooth and reasonably forgiving, if somewhat firm over rougher roads and bumps, owing to stiff run-flat tires. Stable on highway, the ATS Coupe’s suspension can feel slightly firm and bouncy over choppy high frequency textures, but conversely felt more relaxed with a perception of more vertical travel over low frequency imperfections and rebounds. 

Cabin comfort

Well refined inside, the ATS coupe’s cabin is a pleasant and mostly ergonomic place. With compact proportions, reasonable glasshouse and good well-adjustable seating position, it offers good visibility for one to place it on road and manoeuvre in tight confines. Well-spaced in front — especially without sunroof — rear seat space and access can, however, be tricky for large and tall passengers in mind. 

Comfortable and well spaced in front, the ATS coupe’s dashboard and centre console are designed with vertical emphasis, and are somewhat busy in layout and aesthetic. Fitted with decent quality stitched leather upholstery, the ATS Coupe’s general cabin fit and finish was mostly of decent quality, but not segment leading. And one thing that could be improved upon was the instrument panel cowl.

Well-equipped, the ATS Coupe’s CUE infotainment system takes a short while to get familiar with but features intuitive satnav. Extensive equipment available includes active noise cancellation and standard front and rear parking assistance, rearview camera, childseat latches and HUD display. Driver assistance systems include standard lane keeping assist and forward collision alerts and optional blindspot and rear cross-traffic alerts, adaptive cruise control and automatic braking.