凯迪拉克新车剑指宝马3系

    通用汽车公司（General Motors）近日推出了紧凑车凯迪拉克（Cadillac）ATS，作为凯迪拉克产品线的拳头产品，意在与垄断全球豪华紧凑车市场的“德国三驾马车”——宝马（BMW）3系、奔驰（Mercedes）C级和奥迪（Audi）A4相竞争。

    从几个核心的标准来看，凯迪拉克ATS完全可以挑战上述几款德系车的霸主地位。它搭载了一台2.0L涡轮增压发动机，整车重量略轻于竞争车型宝马3系，而且0至60英里加速时间仅为5.7秒，比宝马3系快了0.2秒。凯迪拉克ATS与宝马3系都是后驱车型，这两款车型的重量分布以及悬挂的设计都是为了使车子变得更加灵活、更具驾驶乐趣。

    凯迪拉克ATS的定价本身也很有竞争力，而不是把价格定得较高，然后再给客户折扣价。这样做是为了吸引那些可能怀疑ATS无法与宝马3系平起平坐的消费者。凯迪拉克高管科特•格灵本周在亚特兰大的一次媒体试驾会上说：“如果想把车卖给豪车用户，那可不能边道歉边卖东西。”

    前福特（Ford）工程师、《人车志》杂志（Car and Driver ）撰稿人恰巴•切热表示：“这款车型从内到外都非常时尚，是目前为止凯迪拉克对‘艺术与科学’这一造车理念的最好诠释。” “艺术与科学”（Art and Science）是10年前通用斥资10亿美元重塑凯迪拉克时提出的造车理念。

    他补充说：“ATS的结构很坚固，”不过他也指出ATS的后排空间有点“紧张”。同时他还指出，ATS的行李箱空间只有10.2立方英尺，明显小于宝马3系、奥迪A4或奔驰C级的行李箱体积。

    对于懂行的豪华紧凑车潜在买家来说，他们一般会自动把眼光投向三大德系品牌。因而通用面临的关键问题是能否把这些人的目光吸引到ATS上来。这一点说起来容易做起来难。通用正在日益增长的中国市场上与三大德系厂商角力，同时也想最终打入德国人的老家欧洲，此外还想在美国市场上占领更大的份额。

    紧凑车市场是豪华车市场最大的一个分支，同时通用和凯迪拉克也希望打开这个突破口，为以后销售CTS、XTS等体型更大的豪华车、乃至SRX跨界车和攀登者SUV等铺平道路。这无疑是个漫长而艰难的征程。

    十年前，凯迪拉克首次推出CTS轿车时，评测师和消费者对它的口碑都很不错。不过它太大、太重，无法吸引那些追求驾驶乐趣的年轻消费者。他们更倾向于宝马3系。由于宝马3系一向被公认为豪华轿车的黄金标准，五年前通用决定也推出一款入门级豪华车来与宝马3系进行竞争，因此ATS就连尺寸都与宝马3系差不多。

    ATS可以配备功率较小的2.5升发动机，或是高性能的3.6升V6发动机。再加上各种选装配置，ATS全系售价大概在34,000到49,000美元之间。

    几个星期内，凯迪拉克ATS便会在位于密歇根州兰辛市的通用总装工厂投入量产，预计将在今年8月到店销售。伦敦奥运会开幕期间，美国观众应该能在NBC电视台看到它的广告。我们在广告中可以到ATS轿车飞驰在许多充满异域风情的公路上，从狂风肆虐的巴塔哥尼亚高原，到摩洛哥的阿特拉斯山脉。

    这支广告的标题是“ATS挑战世界”。真是太贴切了。

    译者：朴成奎

    With the introduction of the Cadillac ATS, General Motors Co. (GM) is anchoring its model lineup with a compact sedan aimed straight at the BMW 3 Series, Mercedes C-Class and Audi A4 -- the German triad that dominates global luxury car sales.

    In several key metrics, the ATS can credibly challenge the German models in a manner the U.S. carmaker so far has failed to do. Equipped with a 2.0-liter turbo engine, the ATS is lighter than the comparative BMW 3 Series and a touch faster with a 5.7 second 0-to-60 miles per hour time compared to BMW's 5.9 seconds. The two rear-wheel-drive models both are laid out with weight distribution and suspension designed to make them nimble and score high on the "fun to drive" scale.

    The ATS is priced competitively, rather than at a discount, in order to attract buyers that might be skeptical about Cadillac's claim that it's ever bit the equal of the 3 Series. "If you want to sell to luxury buyers you don't do it apologetically," said Kurt Gehring, a Cadillac executive at a media test drive this week in Atlanta.

    "The car is very stylish inside and out, the best rendition yet of Cadillac's 'Art and Science' design them," introduced a decade ago when GM committed more than $1 billion to remake its luxury division, said Csaba Csere, a contributor to Car and Driver magazine and former Ford (F) engineer.

    "The structure is solid," he added, though he quibbled with the space in the rear seat, which he said felt "tight." He also pointed out that ATS's 10.2 cubic foot trunk is significantly smaller than those of the 3 Series, A4 or the C Class.

    The key question for GM is whether savvy shoppers for luxury compact segments, who normally default to one of the German brands, will add the ATS to their consideration lists. The stakes are bigger than just bragging rights. GM is selling against German automakers in the burgeoning China market. GM also wants to eventually compete in Europe, as well as gain a bigger chunk of the luxury segment in the U.S.

    The compact sedan category is the biggest segment in luxury vehicles and a portal through which GM and Cadillac hope to attract consumers to larger luxury sedans such as the CTS and XTS, to the SRX crossover and Escalade sport-utility vehicle. Doing that will no doubt be a long, difficult slog.

    When Cadillac introduced the first CTS a decade ago it was well received by reviewers and by consumers, although it was too large and heavy to appeal to the younger "fun to drive set" that was considering BMW's 3 Series. Because the 3 Series routinely is voted the gold standard of luxury sedans, GM decided five years ago to proceed with an entry that goes head-to-head with nearly the exact dimensions.

    The ATS can be equipped with a less-powerful 2.5-liter engine and a performance 3.6-liter V6. The various configurations will sell from about $34,000 to $49,000 with all available options.

    Manufacture of the ATS begins within a few weeks at GM's assembly plant in Lansing, Michigan and will begin to show up at Cadillac dealerships in August. The new model will be advertised on NBC during the opening ceremony of the Olympics, using footage of the car navigating a variety of exotic roads wind-swept Patagonia to the Atlas Mountains of Morocco.

    Fittingly, GM's advertising campaign is entitled "ATS Challenges the World." Indeed.