The 2013 Cadillac ATS will benefit from an all-new 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder engine, one of the most powerful 2.0 liters in the world.

This new turbocharged powerplant makes 270 hp and 353 Nm of torque, offering output of a V6 with fuel efficiency of a four-cylinder. GM obviously didn’t want that efficiency ruins the car’s performance.

That said, in the olden days high-power small engines fitted with big turbos used to suffer from catastrophic turbo lag. That doesn’t seem to be the case with this new four-banger with its twin-scroll design.

The high-tech engine features a direct-injection twin-cam, four-valve-per-cylinder engine with continuously variable valve timing; twin-scroll turbocharger with air-to-air intercooler; forged-steel crankshaft with modular balance shaft system; and a two-stage variable-displacement oil pump with jet-spray piston cooling.

Cadillac will also offer a normally aspirated 2.5L four cylinder engine and a 3.6L V-6 engine in the ATS. The car will makes its debut at the 2012 Detroit Motor Show next month.