Diesel a nice move for Cadillac

Evening Chronicle (Newcastle, England), June 30, 2006

Byline: By Chris Russon

My neighbours could have been forgiven for thinking I was living an all-American dream. On the drive, for a while, was a Ford, a Chevrolet and a Cadillac.

Dream on. All American they may be, but by badge alone.

The Ford is a Fiesta, made in Spain, the Chevrolet comes from Korea and the Cadillac...well, it's Swedish.

Forget Bruce Springsteen singing about Pink Cadillacs, this one is Abba through and through.

In the case of the Chevrolet and Cadillac it's all part of General Motors' global strategy whereby the US giant is making use of what it owns around the world in many markets. The Korean Chevrolet was the Lacetti, once a Daewoo, and now a budget-buy family hatch aimed at European tastes. The Cadillac is the BLS, an all-new saloon based on the Saab 9-5 and built at Saab's Trolhatten factory in Sweden.

Again it's aimed at the European market and again it's a bargain but in a different league to the Chevrolet.

The BLS is pitting itself against the likes of the BMW 3 Series, the Jaguar S-Type and Audi A6, and at pounds 25,000 for a diesel version it's a snip.

A diesel Cadillac! Well in these days, when fuel is so precious, this is the way forward and the engine in the Cadillac is rather good.

Like the one used in the Saab, it is a 1.9-litre developing 150bhp and results in more than enough power to do the business while averaging a claimed 46.3mpg. However, my experience in the BLS resulted in a thirstier 38.1 overall.

On the mid-range Luxury model leather upholstery is standard, so is air conditioning and cruise control, but satellite navigation sets you back a further pounds 1,550. Electrically adjustable front seats, with memory settings, are also part of the BLS standard package and it is a very comfortable car, front and back.

Boot space, at 425 litres, is more than adequate, even if the opening is not as tall as it could be. Rivals have it beaten here and so do they on overall ride quality.

The Cadillac looks striking, very angular and imposing, and that goes for the interior too.

It may not be everyone's instant cup of tea but it grows on you and Cadillac is right to think it is going to make a killing in the British market with the BLS.

Those legendary Cadillac qualities which made the brand an American legend may not be apparent, but who wants a gas-guzzling limo?

In the real world diesel power makes a lot of sense and the BLS has plenty going for it.

Facts and figures

Make: Cadillac

Model: BLS 1.9 TD Luxury

Price: pounds 25,073

Mechanical: 150bhp, 1,910cc, 4cyl diesel engine 6 speed manual gearbox.

Max speed: 131mph

0-62mph: 9.5 seconds

Combined mpg: 46.3

Insurance group: 14