????通用汽車公司（General Motors）近日推出了緊湊車凱迪拉克（Cadillac）ATS，作為凱迪拉克產品線的拳頭產品，意在與壟斷全球豪華緊湊車市場的“德國三駕馬車”——寶馬（BMW）3系、奔馳（Mercedes）C級和奧迪（Audi）A4相競爭。

????從幾個核心的標準來看，凱迪拉克ATS完全可以挑戰上述幾款德系車的霸主地位。它搭載了一臺2.0L渦輪增壓發動機，整車重量略輕于競爭車型寶馬3系，而且0至60英里加速時間僅為5.7秒，比寶馬3系快了0.2秒。凱迪拉克ATS與寶馬3系都是后驅車型，這兩款車型的重量分布以及懸掛的設計都是為了使車子變得更加靈活、更具駕駛樂趣。

????凱迪拉克ATS的定價本身也很有競爭力，而不是把價格定得較高，然后再給客戶折扣價。這樣做是為了吸引那些可能懷疑ATS無法與寶馬3系平起平坐的消費者。凱迪拉克高管科特?格靈本周在亞特蘭大的一次媒體試駕會上說：“如果想把車賣給豪車用戶，那可不能邊道歉邊賣東西。”

????前福特（Ford）工程師、《人車志》雜志（Car and Driver ）撰稿人恰巴?切熱表示：“這款車型從內到外都非常時尚，是目前為止凱迪拉克對‘藝術與科學’這一造車理念的最好詮釋。” “藝術與科學”（Art and Science）是10年前通用斥資10億美元重塑凱迪拉克時提出的造車理念。

????他補充說：“ATS的結構很堅固，”不過他也指出ATS的后排空間有點“緊張”。同時他還指出，ATS的行李箱空間只有10.2立方英尺，明顯小于寶馬3系、奧迪A4或奔馳C級的行李箱體積。

????對于懂行的豪華緊湊車潛在買家來說，他們一般會自動把眼光投向三大德系品牌。因而通用面臨的關鍵問題是能否把這些人的目光吸引到ATS上來。這一點說起來容易做起來難。通用正在日益增長的中國市場上與三大德系廠商角力，同時也想最終打入德國人的老家歐洲，此外還想在美國市場上占領更大的份額。

????緊湊車市場是豪華車市場最大的一個分支，同時通用和凱迪拉克也希望打開這個突破口，為以后銷售CTS、XTS等體型更大的豪華車、乃至SRX跨界車和攀登者SUV等鋪平道路。這無疑是個漫長而艱難的征程。

????十年前，凱迪拉克首次推出CTS轎車時，評測師和消費者對它的口碑都很不錯。不過它太大、太重，無法吸引那些追求駕駛樂趣的年輕消費者。他們更傾向于寶馬3系。由于寶馬3系一向被公認為豪華轎車的黃金標準，五年前通用決定也推出一款入門級豪華車來與寶馬3系進行競爭，因此ATS就連尺寸都與寶馬3系差不多。

????ATS可以配備功率較小的2.5升發動機，或是高性能的3.6升V6發動機。再加上各種選裝配置，ATS全系售價大概在34,000到49,000美元之間。

????幾個星期內，凱迪拉克ATS便會在位于密歇根州蘭辛市的通用總裝工廠投入量產，預計將在今年8月到店銷售。倫敦奧運會開幕期間，美國觀眾應該能在NBC電視臺看到它的廣告。我們在廣告中可以到ATS轎車飛馳在許多充滿異域風情的公路上，從狂風肆虐的巴塔哥尼亞高原，到摩洛哥的阿特拉斯山脈。

????這支廣告的標題是“ATS挑戰世界”。真是太貼切了。

????譯者：樸成奎

????With the introduction of the Cadillac ATS, General Motors Co. (GM) is anchoring its model lineup with a compact sedan aimed straight at the BMW 3 Series, Mercedes C-Class and Audi A4 -- the German triad that dominates global luxury car sales.

????In several key metrics, the ATS can credibly challenge the German models in a manner the U.S. carmaker so far has failed to do. Equipped with a 2.0-liter turbo engine, the ATS is lighter than the comparative BMW 3 Series and a touch faster with a 5.7 second 0-to-60 miles per hour time compared to BMW's 5.9 seconds. The two rear-wheel-drive models both are laid out with weight distribution and suspension designed to make them nimble and score high on the "fun to drive" scale.

????The ATS is priced competitively, rather than at a discount, in order to attract buyers that might be skeptical about Cadillac's claim that it's ever bit the equal of the 3 Series. "If you want to sell to luxury buyers you don't do it apologetically," said Kurt Gehring, a Cadillac executive at a media test drive this week in Atlanta.

????"The car is very stylish inside and out, the best rendition yet of Cadillac's 'Art and Science' design them," introduced a decade ago when GM committed more than $1 billion to remake its luxury division, said Csaba Csere, a contributor to Car and Driver magazine and former Ford (F) engineer.

????"The structure is solid," he added, though he quibbled with the space in the rear seat, which he said felt "tight." He also pointed out that ATS's 10.2 cubic foot trunk is significantly smaller than those of the 3 Series, A4 or the C Class.

????The key question for GM is whether savvy shoppers for luxury compact segments, who normally default to one of the German brands, will add the ATS to their consideration lists. The stakes are bigger than just bragging rights. GM is selling against German automakers in the burgeoning China market. GM also wants to eventually compete in Europe, as well as gain a bigger chunk of the luxury segment in the U.S.

????The compact sedan category is the biggest segment in luxury vehicles and a portal through which GM and Cadillac hope to attract consumers to larger luxury sedans such as the CTS and XTS, to the SRX crossover and Escalade sport-utility vehicle. Doing that will no doubt be a long, difficult slog.

????When Cadillac introduced the first CTS a decade ago it was well received by reviewers and by consumers, although it was too large and heavy to appeal to the younger "fun to drive set" that was considering BMW's 3 Series. Because the 3 Series routinely is voted the gold standard of luxury sedans, GM decided five years ago to proceed with an entry that goes head-to-head with nearly the exact dimensions.

????The ATS can be equipped with a less-powerful 2.5-liter engine and a performance 3.6-liter V6. The various configurations will sell from about $34,000 to $49,000 with all available options.

????Manufacture of the ATS begins within a few weeks at GM's assembly plant in Lansing, Michigan and will begin to show up at Cadillac dealerships in August. The new model will be advertised on NBC during the opening ceremony of the Olympics, using footage of the car navigating a variety of exotic roads wind-swept Patagonia to the Atlas Mountains of Morocco.

????Fittingly, GM's advertising campaign is entitled "ATS Challenges the World." Indeed.