Taking the coupe to the jagged edge

Rolling with the times, Cadillac has renewed its two-door ATS Coupe with a few new mechanical implants - and more.

It wasn't too long ago that we reviewed the then new fourth generation facet-form Cadillac ATS Coupe. For 2016, the American automaker shakes off some of the age by injecting some mechanical improvements into what was already a competent coupe. The lines that follow narrate the best, worst and par scores of the revised American executive car.

DESIGN & AESTHETICS

What is the ATS Coupe? For those in their youthful 20s and 30s, Cadillac has created a two-door vehicle out of their ?very-accomplished compact four-door ATS sedan - essentially making this a luxury compact coupe. By borrowing the pointy geometry from the ATS sedan and the same 2,776mm wheelbase, the coupe was bound to be a handsome proposition and it is. We do admit, though, that it's hard to distinguish the coupe from the sedan and that it takes a moment before your eyes realise that two doors are missing. Truth is, both formats feature unique bodywork - the roof, doors, front and rear fenders, and the trunk lid are all different in both cars.

The bevel-edge creative direction first seen on the Evoq concept, exhibited way back in 1999, has been carried forward in this 2016 ATS coupe. Good news is, it's able to maintain great distinction in a road crowded by Beemers, Mercs and Audis. The Coupe is the first production model to wear Cadillac's revised emblem that abandons the laurel wreath for a contemporary-styled shield. Illuminations at the front end - even in base models - feature HID xenon lamps and pulled-back LED vertical strip lighting. The rear too has similar vertical LED taillamps in a shade of red. The lack of a B-pillar would have been nice - it would have negated some of the blind spot effect while making the car look cooler. Paint choices are many, and Cadillac has added three new schemes: Cocoa Bronze, Moonstone and a new Black.

The coupe stays afloat on multi-spoke 18" wheels, and exhaust duties at the rear end are carried out by large dual tail pipes that inform onlookers of the power under the hood, through visual and aural expression. We are of the opinion ?that if you are looking for a distinct sports coupe with balanced proportions, the ATS may be the car for you.

Open up the door with the smart access that releases the locks on the illuminated door handles - the only one of its kind. In case you haven't noticed, in most other cars, it the underside of the handle that is illuminated.

Slip inside the comfortably low-slung body and you enter an expanse of American-built luxury. Cadillac has taken the usual suspects of supple leather upholstery, soft touch materials and some non-obvious elements such as the futuristic glossy glass centre-stack to give it the mandated upmarket feel.

The coupe's inherent sporting persona is evident in the ?good driving position it provides. Individuals around the 180cm mark can be seated comfortably; plus, whether you like a relaxed slide back driving position or an upright aggressive posture, this Cadillac will deliver. The front seats with their many power commands for adjustments provide a good compromise between racecar seating and overly plush Ameri-can seats.

The sportiness is further accentuated with a tactility of the beefy steering wheel. The three-spoke rim, with its decorative piano black trims, houses all the multi-functionality one could need, including audio controls and cruise control. Placed behind the rim are genuine metal paddle shifters in an almost gun metal finish - and true metal shifters are not something you see often; even Audi uses plastic bits.

The backdrop to the steering wheel consists of well-laid out gauges that score high on User Interface (UI) quotient with its legible fonts and easy-on-the-eye lighting. It is coupled with a customisable 5.7" display and a full-colour heads-up display. As you press the little starter button - finished in an off-putting plastic chrome - the gauges come alive and do a little dance before they settle down to their respective zeros and idles.

The head unit in the ATS infotainment system - CUE or Cadillac User Experience - is something to write home about. The 8" LCD screen is sizable but the touch-sensitive screen faces issues with response and reception. Cadillac say that the usability has been revised for 2016 and, while we did find it marginally easier to use, it could simply have been that we, as auto-journos, are now accustomed to the system, which may not be the case for new users. The screen has all the smart phone-inspired pinch-swipe functionality, but the unresponsive nature reigns. Concealed under the retractable screen is a 1.8L storage area that is equipped with sufficient sto-rage. The non-obvious loca-tion makes it a good place to hide stuff. The ATS Coupe is a 2+2-seater, and four adults can be seated in relative com-fort. Entering the rear cabin is a tad tricky, but the space itself is accommodating.

POWERTRAIN & PERFORMANCE

Although there are a variety of powertrains in the GM lineup, like a 2.5L motor and the 2L turbo, GM chose to equip all GCC-spec coupes with the racy direct-injection 3.6L V6 - a good thing, considering the motor shares great enthusiasm for revs all the way to the redline, and is smooth in operation.

The responsive six-pot is linked to a Hydra-Matic 8L45 8-speed automatic trans-mission. Besides allowing drivers to eke the most out of the engine, the 'tap-shift' control, with its two glossy dark chrome paddle shifters, also keeps you involved.

Hook the car up to a dyna-mometer and run its paces; the ATS Coupe should confirm the company-claimed maximum horsepower rating of 318bhp at the crank available at 6,800 rpm and a healthy dose of torque; i.e., 373Nm, available at a mid-counter of 4,800rpm.

Some may argue that the turbocharged 3.0-litre engines on compatriots like ?the BMW 435i or Audi's A5 allow their cars to be quicker, but truth is: the performance deficit is minimal and in a real life driving situation, the difference is unperceived. Cadillac claims the ATS coupe will clock the 0-100km/h sprint in 5.6 seconds. And with the bounty of torque available across the rev-counter, overtaking manoeuvres on the highway are of little concern as well. With the ?gas pedal pushed down firmly, the engine - in combination with the exhausts pipes - provide a progressive, yet aggressive aural note, which to us sounded like a feel-good tune all day.

The Coupe borrows the chassis from the highly acclaimed ATS sedan chassis, which shone greatly in our hands on the Yas Marina circuit, a couple of years ago at the ATS launch. The even spread of mass helps it achieve the optimum 50:50 weight distribution, while the low centre of gravity gives it a very neutral balance, making this car a joy to drive quick. All credits to the dynamically balanced suspension setup! Although the prim and proper looks advertise a composed driving demeanour, the ATS, with its wholesome power and rear wheel drive, is very capable of lunacy. With some throttle application and a twisted steering input, the rear will step out quite easily. You should also know that the driver-adjustable FE3 sport suspension that includes Magnetic Ride Control measures road conditions 1,000 times a second, and adjusts the damping in real time. How many cars are capable of that?

On the down side, the ride did comes across as appreciably bumpy, especially in low speeds when you roll over a speed hump. Thankfully, the performance is backed by a good set of brakes that con-sists of ventilated disc all around, with 12.6" and 12.4" rotors, front and rear, respectively.

When a company places a middle-weight engine such as this 3.6L V6, they are compelled to provide inspiring performance and care for the owner's expenses and the ecology at the same time. With the newly integrated systems like Active Fuel Management (which is basically cylinder deactivation) and Stop/Start technology, fuel economy has been improved by a claimed nine per cent overall. So, expect a figure a little better than 8.4L/100km on the highway and 13.4 in the city. You should also see some improvement for the CO2 emission rating.

FEATURES & FUNCTIONALITY

A big part of posing as a luxury vehicle is a manu-facturer's commitment to making life easier and more convenient for the owners and the occupants - and the ATS coupe fulfils that to a great extent.

While the CUE touch panel interface lacks response, it does make up with function-ality. You get Bluetooth connectivity for your phone and audio, as well as voice operation and text-to-voice that converts incoming text messages to speech. The 12-speaker Bose audio unit is a good music box, but we think a certain degree of acoustic balancing remains. Also available are USB ?ports, auxiliary input and SD memory card ports.

The ATS Coupe has plenty of safety features like Alert Seat, Forward Collision Alert, Lane Departure Warning and Lane Keep Assist, front and rear park assist, rear-vision camera, eight standard air bags, safety belt pre-tensioners, adaptive cruise control, blind zone alert, and rear cross traffic alert. But we recommend that maintaining a good relationship with the brakes whilst keeping an eye out for traffic would be a good idea at all times. as with any other car.

Comfort conditions are maintained by the dual zone climate control. Owning a coupe, you may have a cause for concern in the luggage department. Thankfully, the ATS Coupe offers as much as 295L of trunk space, which is plenty for a full-size suitcase and then some.

VERDICT

The 2016 Cadillac ATS Coupe 3.6 is an adept luxury coupe that has been ?styled for distinction whilst providing a generous serving of horsepower under the hood and a balanced chassis to test the high-levels of traction and your courage. The CUE system could be improved, but everything is eight-tenth of what you need. Plus, with Cadillac's Premium Care package, you are backed by a four-year/100,000km warranty and four years of scheduled maintenance and roadside assistance.

• WKND
• On The Road