Cadillac's Alpha sedan on the way...with 4-cylinder power
I've seen this posted about in several places with lots of negative spin...so now it's time for the official Caddy Edge take on the news... Essentially, the mainstream automotive press has caught on that Cadillac is working on a sub-CTS sedan to replace the current Epsilon (front drive) BLS in Europe and to sell in the US as well. This model will be based on GM's new Alpha platform (itself partially based on the components of the Kappa platform (Pontiac Solstice/Saturn Sky) and the larger Zeta platform (Pontiac G8, etc). You may notice that this is nothing we haven't talked about here for months...welcome to the party guys. ;-) Given that this car is expected to be a much closer match, size-wise, to the BMW 3-Series, Mercedes C-Class, etc. it is not surprising that a high-powered 4-cylinder might be a great entry-level engine. We'd expect this to be a version of the direct-injection 2.0l Ecotech that currently does duty in the Solstice GXP and Sky Red Line. Pumping out at least 260hp - this would give the Alpha cars great fuel economy with all the power that a Cadillac deserves. Note, this is all a far cry from the Cimarron that Cadillac sold years ago (itself little more than a dressed-up Chevy Cavalier). Somehow the press has latched onto the idea that 4-cylinder = cheap, unrefined, imitation Cadillac - even though you never hear the same criticism leveled at Audi's excellent turbo, direct-injection 2.0l in the A3 or A4. I guess taking the cheap Cimarron shot was just too easy.