Start your Engines: Domestic vs. European Luxury car engine wars begin…
The 2.0.13 NEW NORMAL: Horsepower vs. MPG: 3.6L v6 vs. 2.5L 4cyl vs. 2.0L 4cyl-Turbo…
In the latest concession to fuel conservation and the world economies, auto manufacturers around the globe are repackaging brand style, technological advancements and engine performance for the pent-up demand lurking just beyond the November 6th US election.2013 new car models showcase auto tech-volution.
The newest arrivals to this luxury car segment are the 2013 Jaguar XF arriving October 22nd, as a 3.0L v6, 2.0L Turbo 4cyl and optional AWD, squaring off against the 2013 Cadillac ATS, in all new platform available as a 2.5L 4cyl and 3.6L v6, with a turbo 2.0L 4cyl coming “sometime around Christmas 2012.” Rumors also float a “V” version. No AWD. 2013 Cadillac ATS ROAD-TEST Review.
The styling is clearly tagged with the new-age beaded head-lamps, sharp lines and slightly racked exterior giving the car an aggressive stance, but not too masculine.
In the captain’s seat of what feels like an airplane cockpit, the seats are firm and supportive, not overly cushy but wide enough for a larger profile.
The driver’s seat boasts a hand-crank 1/2″ extender for longer legs? Spoiler alert #1: NO heated or ventilated seats offered, even in the Premium version.
Spoiler alert #2: The back seat has a 6″ deep well to overcome, warning to those folks with leg and back issues.
The backseat offers a pass-through for long stuff, no split folding option.
The rear headroom is cut away for taller passengers but won’t work for anyone over 6′ tall.
TECHNOLOGY to LIVE by…
The attention to technology is at once both engaging in a “safety-chic” way, but not as user friendly as the novelty might suggest. The haptic feedback on the navigation screen is awkwardly placed in relation to the metal trim that accentuates the controls, rather than BEING the controls. The size, angle and placement of the navigation screen draws your eye away from the road, leaving the driver a choice of distraction and blind-touch-feel your way around or use the tiny “in the dashboard gauges” screen to find what you want using the 4 way steering wheel controls.
The Premium edition offers a heads-up display featuring green, red and yellow images expressing speed and distance collision monitoring in addition to lane departure alerts. The car gives you lots of cool light displays to warn you of potential danger, including back-up camera with parking lines that move to direct you and blind-spot monitoring.
The first thing you will notice after the push-button start ignites, is the noise. Not the wishful roar of a gently-tuned sport exhaust, but a cacophony of all things driving, once in gear and rolling ever so slowly into traffic.
This is so obvious, your very first impulse is to check your windows and moon roof to be sure they are closed. It is a frontal assault to all the anticipation you have channeled up to this point. The tires, road, engine, wind, outside world, whatever it is, it’s transferred into the cabin in surreal surround sound.
Once engaged in 2nd or 3rd gear the handling and suspension get your attention and the noise seems to go away, but in all truth, it’s the driving engagement that takes over and you envision yourself on the switchback road in the commercial, looking for a road with tight corners. The driving is impressive, especially when you consider the other cars in this class; BMW 3 series, Jaguar XF, Acura TL, Lexus ES350.
The test car I drove was the decked out Premium version 3.6 v6, sporting a window sticker of $49k, for which you get the CUE Navi-Bose-Haptic Controls, Heads-up display, 4/50k warranty, service and loaner cars included.
There are no incentives or specialty lease/finance programs released yet (as of this writing 10/12) as the ATS is barely out a month.
IMHO, the missing heated/cooled seats and split folding rear seat are strange items to delete at this price. the 2.5L (202hp) 4 cyl at $40k, is missing all the cool safety gadgets while dropping a mere 300 pounds in the curb weight between the 2.5L and 3.6L. For the difference in weight, output and fuel economy, many driving enthusiasts are waiting on the 2.0L turbo version for a savings in the wallet and at the pump, without giving up too much performance. We will have to wait and see.