The
Cadillac BLS is a
compact executive car marketed in
Europe by
Cadillac, a
division of
General Motors.
Based on
GM's Epsilon architecture, the
BLS is a rebadged and highly
redesigned version of the Saab 9-3 and is
manufactured in Trollhättan
, Sweden
, alongside
the Saab 9-3 and the Saab 9-5. Sales of the
sedan began in March 2006, with a
station wagon joining the line for
2007.
The
BLS was introduced to the Arabian, Mexican
, South African, and South Korean
markets for the 2007 model year.
In 2007, Cadillac produced 2,772 cars at the Trollhättan factory,
with 282 sold in Germany, a market with total annual sales of 3.15
million. Production figures for 2007 are down from 3,257 in 2006..
 BLS Sedan
|
 BLS station wagon
|
Features
The BLS is available with a diesel engine (a 1.9 L
turbocharged four-cylinder) and two
petrol
engines (a 2.8 L turbocharged V6 and a 2.0 L available
with two power levels).
At in overall length, the BLS is almost six inches shorter than the
CTS, the smallest Cadillac available in
North America.
Engines:
- 1.9 L Fiat
turbodiesel I4 16v,
150 hp (110 kW)
- 1.9 L Fiat turbodiesel I4 16v,
180 hp (132 kW) (2007-)
- 2.0 L Ecotec
I4, mid-pressure turbo, 175 hp (129 kW)
- 2.0 L Ecotec
I4, high-pressure turbo, 210 hp (154 kW)
- 2.0 T FlexPower 200 hp (147 kW)
- 2.8 L HFV6 V6,
turbo, 250 hp (184 kW)
- 2.8 L HFV6 V6,
turbo, 276 hp (206 kW) (2008 BLS 4
(AWD) version)
- 2.8 L HFV6 V6,
turbo, 320 hp (239 kW) (2008 BLS-V
(AWD) version)
Future
Production of the BLS ended in summer 2009, following low sales. In
August 2009, at its extended product review, GM confirmed a new
entry-level sedan to succeed the BLS. The name "
ATS" has been used on many news/blog sites to
refer to the new vehicle, but the name has not been confirmed by
GM. It has also neither announced an availability date nor
specified if it would be sold in Europe. In his speech at the
event, GM CEO Fritz Henderson suggested the car would offer both
all-wheel and rear-wheel drive, a departure from the BLS.
References
- Automobil Revue, catalog 2008, p. 47
- auto motor und sport, #3/2008, p.13
- Edmunds InsideLine: It's the End of the Line for
the Cadillac BLS in Europe
- GM Media Online: A New GM Kicks Into High Gear at
Product and Technology Event
External links
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