The GM Alpha platform currently underpins General Motors'
compact
Compact as used in politics may refer broadly to a pact or treaty; in more specific cases it may refer to:
* Interstate compact, a type of agreement used by U.S. states
* Blood compact, an ancient ritual of the Philippines
* Compact government, a t ...
to
mid-size
Mid-size—also known as intermediate—is a vehicle size class which originated in the United States and is used for cars larger than compact cars and smaller than full-size cars. "Large family car" is a UK term and a part of the D-segment in t ...
, front-engine,
rear-wheel and
four-wheel drive
A four-wheel drive, also called 4×4 ("four by four") or 4WD, is a two-axled vehicle drivetrain capable of providing torque to all of its wheels simultaneously. It may be full-time or on-demand, and is typically linked via a transfer case pr ...
vehicles. Platform basics include
MacPherson struts
The MacPherson strut is a type of automotive suspension system that uses the top of a telescopic damper as the upper steering pivot. It is widely used in the front suspension of modern vehicles. The name comes from American automotive engineer ...
on the front, 5 link
independent rear, use of high strength steel and aluminum, and an overall focus on reducing weight. The GM Alpha platform made its debut in the 2013
Cadillac ATS, which entered production in July 2012.
History
Prior to the August 2012 debut of the compact
Cadillac ATS, the first vehicle produced on the GM Alpha platform,
Cadillac
Cadillac Motor Car Division, or simply Cadillac (), is the luxury vehicle division (business), division of the American automobile manufacturer General Motors (GM). Its major markets are the United States, Canada and China; Cadillac models are ...
's smallest vehicle was the mid-size
CTS.
The CTS was priced the same as compact competitors like the
Audi A4
The Audi A4 is a line of luxury compact executive cars produced from 1994 to 2025 by the German car manufacturer Audi, a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group. The A4 has been built in five generations and is based on the Volkswagen Group B platfor ...
, the
BMW 3 Series
The BMW 3 series is a line of compact executive cars manufactured by the German automaker BMW since May 1975. It is the successor to the 02 series and has been produced in seven generations.
The first generation of the 3 Series was only avail ...
and the
Mercedes-Benz C-Class
The Mercedes-Benz C-Class is a series of compact executive cars produced by Mercedes-Benz Group AG. Introduced in 1993 as a replacement for the 190 (W201) range, the C-Class was the smallest model in the marque's line-up until the W168 A-Class ...
but was noticeably larger and heavier, comparable in size and weight to the mid-size
BMW 5 Series
The BMW 5 Series is an executive car manufactured and marketed by BMW since 1972. It is the successor to the BMW New Class sedans and is currently in its eighth generation. The car is sold as either a sedan or, since 1991, a station wagon (marke ...
. Although Cadillac believed that customers would favor a 5 Series-sized car at a 3 Series price, that assumption proved to be incorrect. Cadillac's research found that target customers who already owned vehicles like the 3 Series or A4 didn't want a larger vehicle. General Motors chose to use an updated and lightened version of the GM
Zeta
Zeta (, ; uppercase Ζ, lowercase ζ; , , classical or ''zē̂ta''; ''zíta'') is the sixth letter of the Greek alphabet. In the system of Greek numerals, it has a value of 7. It was derived from the Phoenician alphabet, Phoenician letter zay ...
platform developed in 2004 by
Holden Motors in Australia, the TT36 Torana prototype; that car would eventually become the ATS.
Development rationale
During the early development of the Cadillac ATS, General Motors engineers determined that downsizing the
GM Sigma II platform that underpinned the second-generation CTS would result in a vehicle that was too heavy and that using an economical, front-wheel drive platform would sacrifice performance. Under the leadership of Dave Leone, General Motors engineers created a brand-new platform which was designed to be light and compact, capable of handling both rear- and all-wheel drive configurations and having a near 50/50 weight distribution.
The new platform developed by the General Motors engineers for the ATS is now called the GM Alpha platform.
[
]
Production start
General Motors began assembling Cadillac ATS sedans intended for sale to customers on 26 July 2012.
Vehicles on sale
* 2013–2019 Cadillac ATS[
* 2014–2019 ]Cadillac CTS
The Cadillac CTS is a luxury car, manufactured and marketed by General Motors from 2003 until 2019 across three generations.
Initially available as a 4-door sedan using the GM Sigma platform, GM offered the second generation CTS in 4-door ...
Chevrolet Camaro
The Chevrolet Camaro is a mid-size American automobile manufactured by Chevrolet, classified as a pony car. It first went on sale on September 29, 1966, for the 1967 model year and was designed to compete with the Ford Mustang. The Camaro sha ...
Cadillac CT4
The Cadillac CT4 is a sedan manufactured and marketed by Cadillac. It replaced the Cadillac ATS sedan and sits below the CT5 in Cadillac's lineup. The CT4-V was unveiled on May 30, 2019, followed by the standard CT4 four months later.
Overvie ...
* 2020–present Cadillac CT5
File:Cadillac ATS 2.0 Turbo AWD Premium – Frontansicht, 16. Oktober 2015, Düsseldorf.jpg, Cadillac ATS
File:Cadillac CTS 2.0 Turbo Luxury (III) – Frontansicht, 5. September 2015, Düsseldorf.jpg, Cadillac CTS
File:2020 Chevrolet Camaro LT1 1SS, front 3.2.20.jpg, Chevrolet Camaro
File:2023 Cadillac CT4 Luxury+ in Summit White, front left.jpg, Cadillac CT4
File:2024 Cadillac CT5-V AWD, front 12.20.24.jpg, Cadillac CT5
References
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gm Alpha Platform
Alpha
Alpha (uppercase , lowercase ) is the first letter of the Greek alphabet. In the system of Greek numerals, it has a value of one. Alpha is derived from the Phoenician letter ''aleph'' , whose name comes from the West Semitic word for ' ...