There was once a time when Cadillacs were defined by their lazy V8 engines.
However, "old GM" has been taught a very costly lesson: change or die. Rather than sticking with traditional Northstar V8 engines, Cadillac is looking at turbocharging for the optimal combination of performance and fuel efficiency.
In the past, the Cadillac SRX crossover received a turbocharged powerplant as well, at the time a turbo V6 producing 300-hp to move the extra heft. For some reason, the engine proved powerful but not especially fuel-efficient, causing poor sales and a discontinuation after only a year.
Despite the less-than-promising results, Cadillac director of advanced design Clay Dean confirmed that we should, "expect more turbocharged vehicles from Cadillac."
Cadillac's latest ATS sport compact sedan has received a lot of attention since it first unveiled. Powered by a turbocharged 2.0 liter 4-cylinder engine, the ATS produced 272-hp.
Now, a twin-turbocharged V6 is rumored to shoehorn into a future high performance ATS-V. As suggested by its "V" designation, the special ATS is expected to produce approximately 400-hp, an enormous figure for such a compact vehicle.
Finally, Cadillac also dropped a couple of details regarding the next CTS. The third-generation will likely find itself offering a base engine similar to the turbocharged 4-cylinder currently found in the ATS.
More and more automakers are learning about the secrets of turbocharging. We believe there's no reason why Cadillac shouldn't either. What do you think? Leave your thoughts in the comment section below.
