CHICAGO — Advanced high-strength steels (AHSS) are featured heavily in the Cadillac ATS and Dodge Ram 1500, which were recently named the 2013 North American Car and Truck/Utility of the Year.

The lightweight, rear-wheel-drive architecture of the ATS weighs less than 3,400 pounds. Its steel-intensive body-in-white incorporates an assortment of dual and multiphase AHSS grades. It also features Cadillac’s first five-link independent rear suspension using HSS, according to the Steel Market Development Institute (SMDI), Detroit.

The Dodge Ram 1500 incorporates a new frame of various steel grades, including AHSS. The new model’s frame weighs about 30 pounds less, and the front rails feature a 20-percent increase in yield strength, SMDI said.

"By modifying steel’s microstructure, Cadillac and Dodge engineers fine-tuned the material to ensure its weight, strength and formability precisely matched their specific design requirements," SMDI vice president of automotive applications Ron Krupitzer said.

The winners, chosen by automotive journalists, were announced Jan. 14 at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.