The Cadillac ATS serves as the company’s entry-level sedan, but falling sales could result in the model being dropped from Cadillac’s 2019 model year line-up. While Cadillac hasn’t made any official announcements about the ATS sedan’s future, The Truth About Cars has uncovered leaked VIN codes submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration showing that the Cadillac ATS will only be sold as a coupe in the 2019 model year, though powertrains will be carried over from the previous model year.
While the ATS is one of Cadillac’s best-selling sedans, sales have seen a sharp decline in recent years paving the way for its demise. US sales for the ATS have fallen each year since the model’s first full year on the market in 2013. In the first 11 months of 2017, ATS sales are down 37.5 percent compared to the same period last year. November was the worst month in the model’s history since it was introduced in September 2012, with only 831 ATS models sold. According to Carsalesbase, a combined total of 21,505 ATS sedans and coupes were sold last year which is significantly less than the 38,319 units that were sold in 2013.
Cadillac refused to comment on the leaked information. However, a few months ago the company’s president Johan de Nysschen announced that the brand is planning to “rebalance its sedan portfolio” which will lead to the the ATS, CTS and XTS sedan all being axed. To streamline its sedan range, all three models will eventually be replaced with the new CT5, which will have a starting price of around $35,000. Cadillac is also planning to introduce another entry-level sedan to rival the Audi A3 and future Mercedes-Benz A-Class sedan. According to the leaked documents, the CT6 will also lose its base 2.0-liter turbo engine for the 2019 model year.
This means that the 3.6-liter V6 will become the new entry-level model. The 2.0-liter turbo will still be used in the hybrid version, though, while the CTS and XTS won’t receive any changes for the 2019 model year if the leak turns out to be true.
