DETROIT -

General Motors will have new products on hand to debut at next month’s North American International Auto Show in Detroit, the automaker announced on Friday, while also revealing that one of these new model debuts will be the 2013 Cadillac ATS.

When asked by Auto Remarketing, a GM spokesperson said the automaker will not be announcing ahead of the auto show what the other three model debuts will be.

Making the announcement before the Automotive Press Association gathered Friday in Detroit, GM executive Mary Barra said the compact luxury rear-wheel-drive sedan can be a “challenger” to the German nameplates that have “dominated” the segment.

In fact, Barra called the 2013 Cadillac ATS “a crucial part of Cadillac’s expansion” in her speech to the APA.

“ATS enters the biggest market segment in the global luxury car industry, both in terms of volume and importance,” said Barra, who is the automaker’s senior vice president of global product development.

“It’s a segment dominated by German cars, including the BMW 3-series, Mercedes C-Class and Audi A4, so we’ve developed a compelling and convincing new challenger,” she added.

In launching the ATS, GM begins its foray into a new real-wheel-drive-based architecture aimed to foster “agile, quick-and-fun driving dynamics and advanced technology.”

GM will begin building the ATS in the summer of 2012 at its Lansing, Mich., Grand River Assembly plant.

Moving along, Barra also touched on the automaker’s goals for core architectures and engine platforms.

When she began her current post about a year ago, core architectures represented 30 percent of GM’s volume. Now, almost half (48 percent) of GM’s volume utilizes that same core architecture.

“We’re targeting 60 percent by 2014 … and 90-plus percent by 2018,” Barra noted.

“It’s a similar story with our engine platforms. As recently as 2009, we built 20 different engine platforms around the world,” she continued. “Over the next several years, our goal is to reduce that to 10.”

Docherty Gains New Post

In other news from the automaker, GM executive Susan Docherty will have a new position with the company beginning Jan. 1.

Docherty — currently the vice president of international operations, sales, marketing and aftersales — will serve as president and managing director of Chevrolet Europe.

She is replacing Wayne Brannon, who is retiring from GM following his 38-year tenure.

Docherty has been in her current role since May 2010 and has held a variety of marketing- and sales-related positions throughout her time with GM. Those positions include serving as vice president of U.S. marketing; vice president of U.S. sales, service and marketing; general manager of Buick-Pontiac-GMC; marketing director for GM Europe based in Germany, and manager of international marketing and communications in Zurich.

“It’s an honor to accept the Chevrolet baton from Wayne Brannon and his team, and I’ll be running hard from day one in my new position,” Docherty said.

“With seven exciting new cars and SUVs arriving at Chevy dealerships in Europe in the past few months, this is a great time for us to take on the competition and continue to grow our business in Europe,” she added.

As for Brannon, he winds down what has been almost four decades with the company. Since coming aboard in 1973, Brannon has worked in a myriad of sales and marketing roles.

Brannon worked several sales, marketing and planning positions for Cadillac; and then in 1992, he was appointed GM’s director of sales and marketing for Africa.  Brannon has since headed up various sales and marketing activities in the Middle East and South America, in addition to Africa.

Beginning the post in early 2006, he has led Chevy’s re-launch in Europe for close to six years.

“It’s been a privilege to be part of the team that has brought Chevrolet back to Europe," said Brannon. “2011 has been a special year. I can’t think of a better way to end a 38-year career than by celebrating the centennial of the brand I love.”