Future Cadillac ATS might have an Ecotec Turbo?

[Bruce Nunnally]

“It is understanding what they feel is tolerable or smart, and still in their mind a luxury proposition,” he adds. “Could you do a 2.0L twin-turbo? Could you boost a smaller powerplant? To me it makes a lot of sense, but will the customer be interested?” Luxury customers looking for efficient, smart solutions, Nesbitt says.

Enter the ATS, a compact luxury offering Cadillac will target against the likes of the Mercedes-Benz C-Class and BMW 3-Series. GM confirms the car but offers no timetable, although it is widely expected within two years.

Nesbitt also plays the ATS’s potential powertrain combinations close the vest – Cadillac could go big, it could go small, he says coyly. But his description of what GM might offer with the ATS hints heavily at a 4-cyl.

“Ultimately, we are very interested in delivering something to the customer that is very agile, (with) very light and nimble driving dynamics,” he says, adding luxury customers are becoming increasingly oriented to downsized engines.

Read more: http://wardsauto.com/ar/cadillac_engine_strategy_100113/