The road test: 2015 Cadillac ATS Coupé

An errant gearbox and slightly faulty seat-belt design aside, Cadillac's ATS Coupé is one fine ride.

The 2015 Cadillac ATS Coupé. Courtesy of Cadillac

It’s nearly two years since the ATS single-handedly killed the curse of the American car. Here was a machine that looked good, was luxurious and tasteful inside and could handle on a racing circuit. I know; I was one of the first to try it out at Yas Marina and I felt sure that, with it, GM had finally built a car that could potentially take the fight to Europe.

That car had praise heaped upon its rakish head from all corners and yet the fussy Europeans are still to be convinced and that’s understandable. For too many decades, American cars were unsuited to anything other than straight roads, too laden with gaudy chrome trim, gargantuan physical proportions, bouncy-castle suspension systems and zero charisma. Times have changed, but time is exactly what it will take for the buying habits of an entire continent to shift.

Could the ATS Coupé be the car to do it? I doubt it very much but it’s another step in the right direction and, anyway, this region won’t have an issue with it, having been an importer of Cadillacs for more than 85 years. Yet this new model could not be more different from the lumbering Caddies of yore. The fact that the company has chosen the snaking road up and down Ras Al Khaimah’s Jebel Jais to showcase its talents is a loud and clear statement of intent. This road will highlight the inadequacies of any car you could think of – it’s like the Nürburgring of the UAE, only much steeper and with more construction equipment in its lay-bys. This could be interesting.

But first, let’s cast a critical eye over its appearance – something Cadillac is evidently proud of, judging by its promotional material. While there is definitely a case of overkill with the company’s angular styling, with pretty much every car looking the same (just like Audi, then), it’s an unavoidably handsome thing to behold. It looks better in the metal than in photographs and seems quite “wheel-sensitive”, with the danger that the wrong choice of rims can practically ruin the entire look. It sits 28mm lower than the saloon and has a 20mm wider track, further emphasising its driving enthusiast pretensions.

Inside, the coupé continues its stylish theme and there’s plenty to like, at least for front-seat occupants. Those in the back might not be so happy but even tall passengers will find there’s adequate headroom, although the space feels slightly claustrophobic. The real issue for rear passengers, however, is the ridiculous placement of the front seat-belt anchor points, which mean there’s always a belt ready to trip them up when entering or exiting the car. Cadillac needs to sort that out, as there’s a very real danger of injuring oneself.

The Middle East gets only one engine: a creamy 3.6L V6 that offers 321hp and 373Nm of twist sent to the rear wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission (other markets get a turbocharged four-pot and the option of four-wheel drive, as well as a manual) and Cadillac is promising an eight-speeder soon.

On the move, the new car is well-damped, comfortable and civilised, as a Cadillac should be. Sport mode tightens things up and can prove a tad harsh on some of Ras Al Khaimah’s poorest urban road surfaces, although once the tarmac smoothens out it’s quite palatable.

What’s not so palatable, however – when you want to take the coupé by the scruff of the neck and drive the thing up a road such as Jebel Jais – is the recalcitrant gearbox. It simply doesn’t engage with the enthusiastic driver, even in sport mode, making for lethargic changes quite at odds with its punchy engine and the gorgeous sounds it makes when you’re really on it. There’s a couple of tasty paddle shifters behind the thick-rimmed wheel and they’re lovely to use but that gearbox just doesn’t feel up to the job, especially when compared to the lightning-quick changes on offer from the latest Jaguars.

Still, the Caddy feels tight as a drum in the hairpins that make Jebel Jais such a joy. It feels powerful but never unwieldy and there’s plenty of safety equipment. The road is covered with loose gravel, especially on the corners, and the rear can get lively at times but there’s enough control here.

So, while its looks might still be found wanting to Euro sceptics (see it on the road, from the rear, and they may change their minds), it does drive like something made by the German hierarchy. If Cadillac quickly sorts out that gearbox, then yes, it could be viewed as a credible contender against cars such as BMW’s 4 Series, Audi’s A5 or Merc’s C-Class Coupé, especially when you consider its price advantage. It still doesn’t feel quite as polished as its rivals, but it remains a fine and entertaining car that offers something the others don’t: individuality.