Double Take - Caddy mixes styles

Evening Chronicle (Newcastle, England), June 15, 2007

Byline: By Alistair Coull and Val Jessop

When I was growing up, the word Cadillac conjured a vision of a monster of a vehicle, usually in candyfloss pink, with huge tailfins and acres of highly-polished chrome.

Later, teenage fantasies might also have included a blonde-haired, sun-bronzed wannabe Marilyn sitting in the passenger seat. In 2007, things are a lot different.

Cadillac is spearheading its return to Europe with the BLS which, if truth be told, isn't a proper Caddy at all.

Faced with surplus capacity at their Saab plant in Sweden, GM decided to re-engineer the Saab 9-3 to carry Cadillac badges. The result is the BLS model ( the first Cadillac to be offered with a diesel engine.

The car's stylists have done a good job of disguising GM's front-wheel-drive Epsilom platform, which the BLS shares with the 9-3 and the Vauxhall Vectra.

The influence of its bigger, chisel-edged CTS brother is fairly obvious and enthusiasts will instantly recognise it as a Caddy. The vertically stacked headlights, cheese-grater grille and central 'spine' are all present and correct, as are the stylised tail lamps.

But the BLS's lines are a bit softer and more curvaceous than the CTS ( and unlikely to offend anyone who might otherwise buy a BMW 3-Series, Mercedes C-Class, Audi A4 or Lexus IS.

With prices ranging from pounds 21,473 to pounds 32,398, the BLS range has four turbocharged engine options, each with a choice of manual or automatic transmission.

It will accelerate from zero to 62mph in 9.5 seconds ( mated to the manual box ( and return an average of 46.3mpg.

Cadillac designers say it combines agility with a comfortable ride ( and it does ( but anyone expecting BMW or Audi levels of driver feedback are going to be disappointed.

( Alistair Coull

Designers of an Anglicised Cadillac have created a saloon with sharp angles, evoking strength and energy, rather than the fins and flares you might associate with the bigger-than-life American dream cruisers of yesterday.

But that's not surprising when you learn that the creators of the car drew inspiration from the US Air Force's menacing stealth fighter-bomber.

Cadillac's BLS model doesn't have a single fin or flare in sight, but there are plenty of edges and angles and the snoop nose and gappy, upright ventilation grille is definitely more military, with predatory overtones.

It is all a lot to take in, given that the aesthetics are totally the opposite to what you would expect. But then you have to get your head round the fact that it is something of a Heinz variety in constitution.

The genetic composition involves, as you'd expect, American architecture, but then the blueprint picks up Swedish overtures from Saab, of which General Motors is the parent company, while there is a Fiat engine.

The aviation theme is further promoted with the link to jet manufacturer Saab and you can certainly identify the Swedish 9-3 model connection.

The Cadillac team have come up with a design which sets the car apart from its rivals as it makes its first foray into the premium mid-size segment. It's powerful image ( and its highly competitive price tag of pounds 25,000 ( are the Cadillac's strongest selling points.

The test car was powered by a 1.9-litre, 150bhp turbodiesel engine, sourced for Saab from Fiat, which manages 0-62mph in 9.5 seconds.

On the open road, the 131mph saloon copes admirably. It is smooth and fairly subdued, though it can sound thrashy under duress.

In the urban jungle it behaves well, if a little sluggish below 30mph. Off straight roads, body-roll is evident but in general the Cadillac is quite comfortable, with good suspension settings and excellent seating. Handling is OK, but the Cadillac's steering is disappointingly neutral.

( Val Jessop

Facts and figures

Cadillac BLS 1.9 TD Luxury

Price: pounds 25,073

Mechanical: 150bhp, 1,910cc, 4cyl diesel engine driving front wheels via 6spd manual gearbox

Max speed: 131mph, 0-62mph: 9.5 secs

Combined mpg: 46.3

Insurance group: 14

CO2 emissions: 164g/km

BiK rating: 22%

Warranty: 3yrs/ 60,000 miles, 6yrs anti-rust