Cadillac has been on a roll lately. Their CTS sedan and CTS-V high performance variant have been very well-received by the buying public and automotive journalists, and for good reason. This is a great car, and one that shows what General Motor’s Cadillac division can do given the right resources.
Next on Cadillac’s agenda is finding an answer to that annoying little problem called the BMW 3-Series. Long believed to be the benchmark in its class, the 3-Series has been a constant reminder to other manufacturers that they can do a whole lot better. Cadillac knows this, and they are serious about competing with the big boys in Europe, but to do so they’re going to need something much better than the front-wheel drive BLS currently sold there.
Enter the Alpha, as in the Alpha platform. This excellent rear-wheel drive platform will be the base on which Cadillac will mount its assault on the class. Though nothing technical has been said yet, expect the new 3-Series rival to be powered by GM’s new direct injection V6 engines and maybe even a small V8 in the V-model (the old CTS-V’s 400-hp engine will do just fine thank you).
Still, if Caddy hopes to compete they’re going to have to bring an excellent package to the show. It’s going to take a combination of build quality, design, performance and good handling to defeat the champ. I think with the new Alpha platform underpinning this new model, Cadillac could have the makings of a contender on their hands.
Source: Motor Trend
Photo: Motor Trend
