Thanks to the combination of a premium global architecture and the ongoing shift in the exchange rate between the US dollar and the euro, Cadillac will next year begin selling a BLS model in Europe.
Using GM's exemplary Epsilon architecture (basis for the Saab 9.3, the Opel Vectra and the Vauxhall Signum, among other brands), Cadillac will launch this new model against the heart of the sports-sedan market in Europe. It will be the primary weapon in Cadillac general-manager Jim Taylor's desire to sell about 10,000 units a year outside of North America.
Though the BLS would be priced to suit Canadian tastes quite well, it will not be coming to this country in the near future. Cadillac's director of communications, Jeffrey Kuhlman, said in an interview that there are no plans to ship the BLS model to Canada immediately, but it might happen a few years down the road when the Epsilon architecture is revised.
Kuhlman described the BLS as being more competitive with the BMW 3-Series in Europe than Cadillac's current entry-level model, the CTS. ''Our focus is on a true entry-level vehicle in Europe,'' Kuhlman said, and the BLS ''gets us into the front-wheel-drive A4 territory.''
Kuhlman said the Cadillac BLS ''is specifically targeted to meet the needs of the European customer, as well as other global market customers.'' Among other things, that means it's smaller than any current Cadillac and will offer a diesel along with three petrol engines.
The BLS has "sharply defined contours, a striking wedge shape and elegant interior," said Kuhlman, and "continues Cadillac's characteristic design language," which is evident in the front and rear lights.
Overall, the car is 4,680-mm long, 1,762-mm wide, and 1,449-mm high. The car on display at the Geneva Motor Show in early March will be a ''show car,'' said Kuhlman, but it ''provides a clear preview of what can be expected from the new Cadillac BLS, which is scheduled to reach the market in spring 2006.''
GM's product boss, Bob Lutz, says ''premium is not a question of vehicle size, but purely of excellence, and in this respect the Cadillac BLS will definitely be a top player in its league.''
Along with its expressive design, says Lutz, the new sedan's particular strengths include its ''outstanding ride and acoustic comfort.''
From a technical point of view, this Cadillac will ring in a new era in brand history -- a turbo-diesel engine. Like the gasoline engines, says Kuhlman, the turbo diesel variant will be positioned at the upper end of the performance scale.
Cadillac BLS will also offer the dynamic driving performance customers have come to expect from this brand, Lutz promises, and anyone who has driven one of the existing Epsilon products in Europe knows that will certainly happen. Cadillac will even make a right-hand drive available for the U.K. and other countries that drive on the wrong side of the road.
Designer Chip Thole points out the most obvious Cadillac design motifs, including the ''emphasis of the vertical lines on the front and rear. The characteristic v-form of the chrome-plated grill is picked up again by the trunk lid. The large side faces communicate a sense of strength and solidity."
As a finishing touch, 19-inch multi-spoke alloy wheels underline the impressive looks of the show car. In the past such things would never had made the transition to the production car, but this is a whole new automotive world so maybe they will with the BLS.
Using GM's exemplary Epsilon architecture (basis for the Saab 9.3, the Opel Vectra and the Vauxhall Signum, among other brands), Cadillac will launch this new model against the heart of the sports-sedan market in Europe. It will be the primary weapon in Cadillac general-manager Jim Taylor's desire to sell about 10,000 units a year outside of North America.
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| Cadillac BLS (photo: General Motors) |
Kuhlman described the BLS as being more competitive with the BMW 3-Series in Europe than Cadillac's current entry-level model, the CTS. ''Our focus is on a true entry-level vehicle in Europe,'' Kuhlman said, and the BLS ''gets us into the front-wheel-drive A4 territory.''
Kuhlman said the Cadillac BLS ''is specifically targeted to meet the needs of the European customer, as well as other global market customers.'' Among other things, that means it's smaller than any current Cadillac and will offer a diesel along with three petrol engines.
The BLS has "sharply defined contours, a striking wedge shape and elegant interior," said Kuhlman, and "continues Cadillac's characteristic design language," which is evident in the front and rear lights.
Overall, the car is 4,680-mm long, 1,762-mm wide, and 1,449-mm high. The car on display at the Geneva Motor Show in early March will be a ''show car,'' said Kuhlman, but it ''provides a clear preview of what can be expected from the new Cadillac BLS, which is scheduled to reach the market in spring 2006.''
GM's product boss, Bob Lutz, says ''premium is not a question of vehicle size, but purely of excellence, and in this respect the Cadillac BLS will definitely be a top player in its league.''
Along with its expressive design, says Lutz, the new sedan's particular strengths include its ''outstanding ride and acoustic comfort.''
From a technical point of view, this Cadillac will ring in a new era in brand history -- a turbo-diesel engine. Like the gasoline engines, says Kuhlman, the turbo diesel variant will be positioned at the upper end of the performance scale.
Cadillac BLS will also offer the dynamic driving performance customers have come to expect from this brand, Lutz promises, and anyone who has driven one of the existing Epsilon products in Europe knows that will certainly happen. Cadillac will even make a right-hand drive available for the U.K. and other countries that drive on the wrong side of the road.
Designer Chip Thole points out the most obvious Cadillac design motifs, including the ''emphasis of the vertical lines on the front and rear. The characteristic v-form of the chrome-plated grill is picked up again by the trunk lid. The large side faces communicate a sense of strength and solidity."
As a finishing touch, 19-inch multi-spoke alloy wheels underline the impressive looks of the show car. In the past such things would never had made the transition to the production car, but this is a whole new automotive world so maybe they will with the BLS.