[Freddie]

Found this (and pics) on Autozine: Cadillac BLS (Scroll down to see)

Shortly after AutoZine reported the Saab 9-3-based small Cadillac for Europe, GM released the first pictures and details of the car. Surprisingly, it looks every bit a Cadillac, with its in-your-face "Art and Science" design and no trace of the Saab 9-3. The baby Cadillac measures 4680mm in length, 1762mm in width and 1449mm in height, almost the same as the Saab. Underneath is the same platform using MacPherson struts up front and 4-link suspensions at the rear. It is FWD of course.

Power comes from 3 petrol and 1 diesel engine, all shared with Saab 9-3. The petrol engines include two 2.0-litre turbo inline-4 with different state of tune (probably 175hp and 210hp, as in 9-3), and then a 250hp 2.8-litre turbo V6 (Holden-built, to be launched in 9-3 Sport Hatch). The diesel engine is Fiat's 1.9-litre common-rail turbo diesel. Wow, can you imagine a four-cylinder diesel Cadillac ?

Cadillac BLS will go on sale next spring. Production will take place at Saab's Trollhattan main plant in Sweden alongside the 9-3 to utilize the unused capacity.

Cadillac is pushing very hard to go internationalized. Last year, it sold just 2,000 cars outside North America, versus 242,000 cars in NA. With the introduction of BLS, it hopes to boost international sales to 10,000 cars next year and eventually 150,000 cars by 2010.

Looks real fine. I'm crossing my fingers in hope that this car is a success.

[TsLeng]

Looks good

[Quick_Nick]

It has an optional 1.9 liter turbo diesel. What a sorry excuse for a Cadillac! I'm glad I won't see any of these here in the states.

[Rossell]

Don't jip the BLS. Its still a damn good car from what I can see.

[eliseracer]

It doesn't need anything big under the hood. Nobody would buy it if it had a 12.4L V16 or something rediculously huge... Europeans buy diesels. That simple.

[cjrciadt]

I hope I'm allowed to say this but this is a stylish Cadillac!

[Ghost C]

eliseracer

It doesn't need anything big under the hood. Nobody would buy it if it had a 12.4L V16 or something rediculously huge... Europeans buy diesels. That simple.

Nothing with under six cylinders belongs under the hood of a Cadillac, period.

A Fiat powered Saab platformed Cadillac? Absolute blasphemy. What the hell was GM thinking.

[Freddie]

They're thinking that they need to sell Cadillacs in Europe. This will be their smallest model with a (relatively) low price to attract customers, not only to this car but also the rest of the euro-line-up.

They should have a slightly larger diesel available though, maybe something from BMW or PSA. A single diesel option won't do.

[The359]

Ghost C

Nothing with under six cylinders belongs under the hood of a Cadillac, period.

A Fiat powered Saab platformed Cadillac? Absolute blasphemy. What the hell was GM thinking.

The same thing BMW and Mercedes are thinking with the 4-cylinder 1-series and A/B-Class. If they want to compete, they have to be practical. Europeans buy four cylinders, even in their luxury cars.

[eliseracer]

Ghost C

Absolute blasphemy. What the hell was GM thinking.

Doing exactly what GM does best: making tons of different models based on the same car. It's what they do with every single car of theirs. What next, a Corvette based Saturn?

Apeal? What apeal?

[Layla's Keeper]

Eh, there's already a Corvette-based Caddy. GM's also got Saab building a compact based on Subaru WRX architecture. The Saturn Sky and Pontiac Solstice are sharing a platform. And let's not forget that the Opel/Vauxhall Omega platform also underpins the Chevrolet Malibu/Pontiac G6 and a Saturn compact sedan whose name escapes me at the moment.

This is nothing new in the GM world. Just standard operating procedure. Hopefully, though, it helps the revitalized Cadillac make more of an imprint on Europe.

[M5Power]

The359

The same thing BMW and Mercedes are thinking with the 4-cylinder 1-series and A/B-Class. If they want to compete, they have to be practical. Europeans buy four cylinders, even in their luxury cars.

That doesn't mean they can't engineer the products themselves. I actually agree with Ghost C in part of his point - Fiat, Saab, Holden; where's Cadillac in all this? Disagree that a Cadillac can't have a four though - if they want to go global, they should do it right.

[PS]

Hate it. Simple as that. I hope Europeans know a thing or two about cars...

[Ghost C]

Freddie

They're thinking that they need to sell Cadillacs in Europe. This will be their smallest model with a (relatively) low price to attract customers, not only to this car but also the rest of the euro-line-up.

Doesn't mean they need to blasphemize the heritage of the company. A six cylinder diesel at least, but a four cylinder? Absolute trash. The Cimarron was a four cylinder, and we all know how well that did.

They should have a slightly larger diesel available though, maybe something from BMW or PSA. A single diesel option won't do.

ABSOLUTE BLASPHEMY. NEVER EVER A BMW ENGINE, EVER. If Cadillac EVER used a BMW engine, their headquarters would get bombed or shot up by pissed off Cadillac owners. That is the worst idea ever. Don't ever suggest an idea so bad ever again.

[M5Power]

Ghost C

Doesn't mean they need to blasphemize the heritage of the company. A six cylinder diesel at least, but a four cylinder? Absolute trash. The Cimarron was a four cylinder, and we all know how well that did.

As I recall it plunged the company into a 20-year pit of darkness they're just recovering from now... and as I recall, you thought it was a six only.

[The359]

M5Power

That doesn't mean they can't engineer the products themselves. I actually agree with Ghost C in part of his point - Fiat, Saab, Holden; where's Cadillac in all this? Disagree that a Cadillac can't have a four though - if they want to go global, they should do it right.

What GM product is true to it's badge anymore? We've got platforms spread across every name brand, engines used everywhere, what do you expect?

Pontiacs with Cadillac engines
Cadillacs with Corvette chassis
Saabs with Subaru platforms
etc...

[cjrciadt]

M5Power

As I recall it plunged the company into a 20-year pit of darkness they're just recovering from now... and as I recall, you thought it was a six only.

A Chevy Cavalier but for double the price.

[Omnis]

it's either gonna be known as:

Brings Lots of Success
-or-
Big Load of S

[M5Power]

The359

What GM product is true to it's badge anymore? We've got platforms spread across every name brand, engines used everywhere, what do you expect?

Pontiacs with Cadillac engines
Cadillacs with Corvette chassis
Saabs with Subaru platforms
etc...

None of those brands are trying to pass themselves off in a new market. I'd be much more respectful of the brand in Europe if they'd do stuff themselves. Actually it doesn't really matter to me. I do like how you use plural above - I can count on one finger the number of Pontiacs with Cadillac engines; one more the number of Cadillacs with Corvette chassis; and one more for the number of Saabs with Subaru platforms. But again, I don't really care. It's not the brands behind the car that'll sell the car to the Europeans, it's the brand whose badge is on the grille. I guess we'll see!

Man that post sucked...

[VT]

BLS = Big Load of Sh*t <-- Didn't realize Omnis posted it before me



But seriously, a Diesel? Is diesel fuel that much cheaper than gas over there? Other than that I don't quite see the inclination to buy a diesel ..