Goodbye V6 for GM mid-size lineups? It may start with Cadillac ATS

[AF News Desk]

Spy shots and intel indicate that General Motors is lining up a 2.0 litre, turbo-charged four-cylinder engine for the upcoming Cadillac ATS.

Such an engine is speculated to be a move that removes the oft-used V6 engine from all future GM mid-size lineups, a move that competing manufacturers have made over the last few years.

Here's the story and photo gallery from AutoBlog:

Originally Posted by By Zach Bowman - AutoBlog, 10/6/11

GM readying 2.0-liter turbo four for Cadillac ATS?


Photo Credit: Autoblog.com

GM Inside News reports that General Motors is working on a new turbocharged four-cylinder engine for the Cadillac ATS. The small-displacement engine is expected to produce between 270 and 280 horsepower. Those are impressive figures, though there's no indication as to whether or not the engine will require premium fuel.

If true, the engine's introduction only stokes the rumors indicating that GM is walking away from V6 drivetrain options in its mid-size offerings altogether. Automakers like Kia and Hyundai have already abandoned the six, allowing those companies to produce lighter, more efficient sedans that are just as powerful as their V6 competition.

GMI says that the new 2.0-liter will be cut from the same cloth as the 2.5-liter Ecotec four-cylinder that GM recently unveiled in the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu. In other words, while it may borrow some tricks from the turbo 2.0-liter lump that powers the Buick Regal GS, it will by and large be its own beast.

News Source: GM Inside News

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I think this is an interesting - but not terribly surprising - direction for GM to be moving.

With the focus of many automakers being on fuel efficiency without sacrificing performance, many models are being moved to turbo-charged engines (see: BMW M-Series).

I think it also opens the door (at least in my wishful mind) to the possibility of smaller, sportier coupes that we'll all likely want to take out and burn the tires off of.

Still, all kidding aside, I will be interested to see how GM moves forward with this engine and what models they will consider integrating it into, especially if they ARE considering doing away with the V6 mid-size models.