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Lansing-made Cadillac ATS named 2013 North American Car of the Year
Posted: January 14, 2013 - 8:10 AM
DETROIT — The Lansing-built Cadillac ATS is the 2013 Detroit auto show’s Car of the Year.
The small luxury car, produced by more than 1,000 workers at the Lansing Grand River assembly plan, landed the top honors at a 7 a.m. event today as the North American International Auto Show opened to the media at Cobo Hall in Detroit. It’s the first time Car of the Year honors have gone to Cadillac in five years.
The Cadillac CTS, also built at Lansing Grand River, was named Car of the Year in 2008.
"This award is for you," ATS Chief Engineer told Lansing Grand River workers. “It’s a proud day.”
The Ram 1500, made by Chrysler Group LLC, was named Truck of the Year.
The ATS first rolled off the line in July at the Lansing Grand River assembly plant. It was introduced in Detroit during last year’s auto show to much acclaim.
Since then, it has landed at the top of numerous critics’ best-of lists, including Esquire magazine’s Car of the Year and Popular Mechanics magazine’s Luxury Car of the Year.
GM invested $190 million into the Grand River plant to prepare for the ATS. The automaker added roughly 600 new jobs as part of a second shift at the plant, which also produces the Cadillac CTS line of coupes, sedans and wagons.
The ATS was the first new vehicle to be built in Lansing since GM transferred production of the Chevrolet Traverse crossover from Spring Hill, Tenn., to the Lansing Delta Township assembly plant in 2009.
The compact car from GM’s luxury division is intended to compete against German rivals BMW’s 3 Series and Mercedes’ C-Class. It has a starting price of $33,990 and can reach up to 30 mpg on the highway.