While the Cadillac ATS is currently available as a sedan and coupe in the United States, General Motors is reportedly working on a long-wheelbase (LWB) variant of its entry-level sedan for the Chinese market.
Cadillac currently imports the ATS into China, where it faces stiff competition from LWB models such as the Audi A4L, BMW 3-Series Li and Volvo S60L. Not to mention that Mercedes-Benz has also confirmed a long-wheelbase model for the C-Class for China.
According to a report from CarNewsChina, the stretched Cadillac ATS will be called ATS-L and will be manufactured locally by the Shanghai-GM joint venture starting from the second half of this year. The ATS-L will feature a longer wheelbase by 100mm (3.93in) compared to the U.S. model, which means the wheelbase will be increased to 2,875mm (113.2in).
For the moment, the imported Cadillac ATS is only available in China with the 2.0-liter turbocharged engine producing 270hp. The ATS-L will also add a 200hp 2.5-liter engine and a 320hp 3.6-liter V6 engine. Prices of the Cadillac ATS-L are expected to start from around 275,000 yuan ($45,470).
By Dan Mihalascu
Note: Regular wheelbase Cadillac ATS pictured
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