Cadillac BLS

The Cadillac BLS is a compact executive car marketed in Europe by Cadillac, sharing General Motors' Epsilon architecture, as a restyled variant of the Saab 9-3. Development was carried out by Saab and the car was manufactured in Trollhättan, Sweden, alongside the Saab 9-3 and the Saab 9-5. Sales of the sedan began in March 2006, with a station wagon joining the line for 2007. Starting in 2007, the BLS was sold in the Middle East, Mexico, South Africa and South Korea. It was never sold in the United States nor Canada.

Cadillac BLS
Overview
ManufacturerSaab (General Motors)
Production2005–2009 in Sweden
2009–2010 in Russia
AssemblyTrollhättan, Sweden
Kaliningrad, Russia[1]/[2]
Body and chassis
ClassCompact executive car (D)
Body style4-door saloon
5-door estate
LayoutFF layout
PlatformGM Epsilon platform
RelatedFiat Croma
Chevrolet Malibu
Opel Insignia
Opel Signum
Opel Vectra
Saab 9-3
Saturn Aura
Powertrain
Engine1.9 L Fiat turbodiesel I4
2.0 L turbocharged Ecotec LK9 I4
2.8 L HFV6 V6
Transmission5-speed automatic
6-speed automatic
5-speed manual
6-speed manual
Dimensions
Wheelbase2,680 mm (105.5 in)
Length4,680 mm (184.3 in)
4,716 mm (185.7 in) (Wagon)
Width1,750 mm (68.9 in)
1,752 mm (69.0 in) (Wagon)
Height1,470 mm (57.9 in)
1,543 mm (60.7 in) (Wagon)
Chronology
PredecessorCadillac Cimarron
SuccessorCadillac ATS
BLS Sedan rear
Cadillac BLS Wagon rear

BLS production reached 3,257 in 2006[3] and 2,772 in 2007.[3][4] Production ended in 2009.[5]

Features

The BLS was available with a diesel engine (a 1.9 L turbocharged four-cylinder) and two petrol engines (a 2.8 L turbocharged V6 and a 2.0 L available with two power levels).

At 184.3 in (4,681 mm) in overall length, the BLS was almost six inches shorter than the CTS, the smallest Cadillac available in North America.

Engines:

Reviews
  • Auto Express [6]
    'The BLS is OK, but offers nothing new in a market overflowing with talent.'
  • Evo [7]
    [+] Stylish and quiet
    [-] Pushes no boundaries.
  • Honest John [8]
    Positives: Based on the Saab 9-3 so decent handling. Well proven mechanicals. Saab-grade safety.
    Negatives: The ride is far from forgiving. Automatic doesn't work well with the V6 turbo, which also has overly light steering.
  • Verdict On Cars [9]
    'Average. It's built in Europe, shares most of its underpinnings with a Saab and will never see America - meet the strangest Cadillac ever.'

Name

The BLS is known by many as the "Bob Lutz Special" - a reference to Vice Chairman Bob Lutz who oversaw all GM product development at the time. Lutz, a supporter of badge engineering, wanted to leverage the SAAB 9-3 to fill holes in Cadillac's product range.

The reference to Bob Lutz can be viewed both as support and as criticism of his strategy. While the BLS was a market failure, many of the techniques of badge engineering employed in the BLS resulted in other GM product successes, most notably a significant improvement in overall passenger car product quality and performance output.

Under Lutz's revamped strategy, most Cadillac model names had no meaning (aside from preceding models, such as DTS for Deville Touring Sedan, or CTS for Catera Touring Sedan). Hence, the BLS has no official name for its abbreviation - fueling the community namesake.

While GM has never formally said why the BLS bore its name, it is likely the B was chosen for being smaller than the CTS mid-size sedan, L for Luxury, and S for Sedan. This is consistent with the Seville Luxury Sedan, or later the Cadillac SLS.

References
  1. "Группа компаний Автотор :: Автомобили GM". Avtotor.ru. Archived from the original on 2016-02-10. Retrieved 2010-05-22.
  2. "GM 2009". Archived from the original on 2011-09-04. Retrieved 2010-05-15.
  3. Automobil Revue, catalog 2008, p. 47
  4. auto motor und sport, #3/2008, p.13
  5. Lienert, Anita (2009-08-18). "It's the End of the Line for the Cadillac BLS in Europe". Edmunds Inside Line. Edmunds Inc. Archived from the original on 2009-08-21. Retrieved 2013-08-16.
  6. "Cadillac BLS". Auto Express. Retrieved 2014-06-28.
  7. http://www.evo.co.uk/carreviews/evocarreviews/65832/cadillac_bls.html
  8. "Car-By-Car Reviews - Cadillac BLS (2006 - 2010)". Honest John. Archived from the original on 2014-09-23. Retrieved 2014-06-23.
  9. "Cadillac BLS". Verdict On Cars. Archived from the original on 2005-02-23. Retrieved 2014-06-23.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.