Cadillac, the famous American luxury brand has made it to Ireland. Those expecting ‘tailfins’ and bucket-sized cup holders will be disappointed, especially as the baby Cadillac BLS isn’t even American – it’s Swedish!
Based and built alongside the Saab 93 in Trollhatten, Sweden, the Cadillac BLS is tiny by American standards but reasonably large by ours. In fact the BLS is unlikely ever to be sold in the US having been specially designed for European tastes.
The exterior has been really well-packaged to give the illusion of a much bigger car. The BLS has very impressive road presence. Where the Saab 93 has curves the Caddy has no nonsense angles. The front grille is imposing, until you touch it and realise it’s made of lightweight materials and pretty flimsy. The lights front and rear are bold and again angular. The boot looks massive but is actually modest by Mondeo standards with 425 litres of space. Overall the BLS is a good looking, well-proportioned business saloon. You will feel noticed by other drivers in this car, for the right reasons.
Inside the cabin you’ll feel like you’re in...well, a Saab! The switchgear is supplied by the Swedish manufacturer, which in fairness can only be a good thing. The fit and finish is decent too. The stereo even has an auxiliary (iPod/Mp3) connecter.
The BLS range offers turbo-charged petrol and diesel engines and respectable levels of interior trim making it a real alternative in the compact executive sector. Business, Elegance and Sport Luxury are the trim levels. The smallest engine is the 1.9 litre diesel. It pushes out 150bhp and is available in six-speed manual or six-speed automatic versions and will deliver 46mpg on average in old money. The petrol range features two turbo-charged two litre units with outputs of 175bhp and 210bhp. Top of the range is a 2.8 litre V6 with 255bhp on tap.
On the go the front-wheel-drive BLS is a pretty brisk machine. The BLS uses the same platform found underneath the Saab 93 and Opel Vectra and a familiar range of engines.
The driving controls are light to operate (some say too light for a quality car) and the only real criticism I can offer is the steering quality, which offers little in the way of positive feedback. The car sits low and squat giving off a sporty air. In fact the only thing that stopped me from giving it socks on the twisty bits was the driving seat that gives poor lateral support.
My mid range test car is the 210bhp two litre petrol in Elegance trim. With a retail price of €46,950 it is serious money for a car with a tiny dealer network and this will affect residual values. Despite this I’m sure the BLS will tempt many a company car driver from their more popular BMW 3 series, Audi A4 and into the niche Cadillac brand. Reliability shouldn’t be an issue as all the oily bits and pieces are from GM Europe.
Cadillac has come a long way since the days of Elvis, tailfins and beehive hairdos.
Michael Sheridan
