In 2009 General Motors was left for dead. For over a century the auto manufacturer reigned as an industry authority.
Now the auto giant crumbled under the economic pressure of the financial meltdown, as federal banks jumped to save the corporation as the Motor City collapsed around it.
After 4 years of struggle to rebuild its brand, the underdog company triumphed in January when the Cadillac ATS won one of the industry’s most influential awards, Car of the Year, at the Detroit Auto Show.
Car of The Year Award
A panel of 49 auto critics from the United States and Canada critiqued over 50 vehicles in the town of Hell, Michigan. This is Cadillac’s first win since the award was created in 1994. Fellow Detroit company, Chrysler took home the Truck of The Year award for the 2013 Ram 1500.
Panelist and freelance writer from Montreal, Jacques Duval, told CNN that finally, there is an American sports sedan that can compete on the same level as the best European cars.
About The Cadillac ATS
The ATS is a luxury sedan made to compete with the Mercedes C-Class and BMW 3-Series vehicles. The new model prides itself on its sleek design and performance.The new Cadillac is based on the new Alpha platform and features: Rear-drive layout, front engine, four-wheel independent suspension, four-wheel disc brakes and ZF electric power steering. The 2013 ATS has optional manual transmission, available all-wheel drive and a choice of three engines.
Technology is another innovative quality of the ATS that pushed it to victory. The Cue is an ‘industry-first’ tablet control center for the vehicle. The cue makes entertainment, navigation, safety, communication and other controls accessible through touch screen.
Chief engineer on the ATS project, Dave Leone, explained to ABC News that when you consider that Cadillac’s goal is to reestablish itself as the ‘standard of the world,’ the award is a monumental moment for the company.
Although the ATS trails behind its competitors in sales, Cadillac reported that it sold almost 3,000 of the model in December 2012, which makes it the second after the CTS for the company’s best selling vehicle.
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