New Cadillac ATS-V 2015 review

While it only comes in left-hand drive and there’s only one dealer in the UK who’ll sell you one, the Cadillac ATS-V has character by the bucket load. Those who remember Cadillacs to be large barges will be shocked by the ATS-V as it delivers real driving thrills, courtesy of a great chassis and engine. If a BMW M4 is too common and you can live with driving on the left-hand side, it’s an interesting option. 

Mention the name Cadillac to most Brits and they’ll think of some be-finned 1950s space rocket for the road or a ruche leather-lined barge from the Eighties. Outside of the UK, though modern day Cadillac has been steadily building itself a small but loyal following, notching up nearly 1,000 sales of saloon cars and of the new Range Rover-rivaling Escalade SUV in Europe over the course of 2014.

What’s even less well known to Brits is that Cadillac has been pedaling a fine line in performance cars too. For the last decade its CTS-V has offered a distinctly American-flavoured alternative to those tired of BMW M5s and Mercedes E-Class AMGs, and now for 2015 the ‘V-Series’ of Caddies has grown to two. The smaller ATS-V can be yours in exchange for around £55,000 in four-door guise or for around £5,000 more there’s a racier two-door. It’s on sale in the UK too; from one dealer in Surrey and in left-hand drive only. 

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The ATS-V Coupe, tested here goes up squarely against the BMW M4 and the new Mercedes-AMG C63, and vies with the Lexus RC F for the title of most exclusive performance coupe money can buy. Like the BMW, the Caddy uses six cylinders fed by twin turbos but the ATS-V is more powerful. Its 3.6 V6 pushes out 464bhp; 7bhp and 5bhp less than the Lexus and C63 respectively, but 39bhp more than the M4.

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It sounds better than the BMW too and even though some of the engine noise is pumped into the cabin, it’s a nice noise. The ATS-V has gravelly note at low revs, but press the throttle and the raspy tone morphs into a Jaguar-like howl. It’ll shoot to 60mph in under four seconds and top out at an astonishing 189mph.  

The engine is just one part of what’s a very impressive and surprisingly competent package. The chassis is eager to attack a corner, the clever Magnetic Ride Control suspension (which ‘reads’ the road and tunes the suspension accordingly) soaks up bumps well, body-roll is almost non-existent and the electric power steering is accurate and feel-some. Those used to driving Cadillac’s enormous Escalade will be shocked that the ATS-V is built by the same company, as the powerful two-door easily holds its own against an RCF and isn’t too far off the precision-tuned M4 and C63 for driving thrills. 

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It isn’t all good news though. While the engine and chassis would impress even the most cynical of cynics, the brakes and gearbox let the side down. Arrive at a corner and the brake pedal feels both stiff and dead, meaning you have to really stand on it to scrub off speed, and while the gearbox is a new eight-speed torque converter auto, it’s ponderous to change. Pin the throttle and pull on the wheel-mounted paddles – which are also too much of a stretch to reach – and there’s a noticeable delay before the jerky shifts are executed. Changing down the box is quicker but it’s a far cry from the precision we’ve come to expect from dual-clutch systems like the one the M4 uses. 

While the ATS-V is well-equipped – Cadillac throws in leather electric sport seats, OnStar, a Bose stereo, a limited slip diff, wireless charging and dual-zone climate – the quality falls a little short (the Vauxhall Astra switches and stalks stand out like a sore thumb). That’s difficult to overlook in a car that isn’t much cheaper than its Euro and Japanese rivals. Having said that, it’s roomy inside with decent legroom for rear seat passengers and the ATS-V’s squared-off styling looks fantastic.