Cadillac BLS

Cadillac BLS

Manufacturer	General Motors
Production	2005–2009
Assembly	Trollhättan, Sweden
Class	Compact executive car
Body style(s)	4-door sedan 4-door station wagon
Layout	FF layout
Platform	GM Epsilon platform
Engine(s)	1.9 L Fiat turbodiesel I4 2.0 L turbocharged Ecotec I4 2.8 L HFV6 V6
Transmission(s)	5-speed automatic 6-speed automatic 5-speed manual 6-speed manual
Length	4,680 mm (184.3 in) 4,716 mm (185.7 in) (Wagon)
Width	1,750 mm (68.9 in) 1,752 mm (69.0 in) (Wagon)
Height	1,470 mm (57.9 in) 1,543 mm (60.7 in) (Wagon)
Related	Fiat Croma Chevrolet Malibu Opel Insignia Opel Signum Opel Vectra Saab 9-3 Saturn Aura

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^[1] cars at the Trollhättan factory, with 282 sold in Germany, a market with total annual sales of 3.15 million.^[2] Production figures for 2007 are down from 3,257 in 2006.^[1].

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 184.3 in (4681 mm) 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^[3]. In August 2009, at its extended product review, GM confirmed a new entry-level sedan to succeed the BLS^[4]. 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

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Cadillac BLS

• official UK website
• Parker's BLS Review
• Cadillac BLS Yahoo Cars Overview
• WhatCar.Com BLS Review
• Car and Driver Article on BLS Debut
• Auto Express Review BLS 2.0T
• VerdictOnCars.com Review