Cadillac BLS Wagon: 4Car-UK Review

[nadepalma]

I didn't see this posted anywhere and knew that our man Ming must get his daily dose of "Wagon-crack" to get through the day! :-D

Just kidding.

It's a decent review for what it is. Peronally I think it's very attractive and a stylish wagon. Too bad we dont' have it here in the States, but hopefully it will add sales to the bottom line in Europe....

Originally Posted by 4Car

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The BLS is the first Cadillac to be designed specifically for Europe, and the Wagon version is Cadillac's first estate in its 104-year history.

Using the same underpinnings and engines as the Vauxhall Vectra and the Saab 9-3, the BLS competes in the ultra-lucrative - and highly competitive - compact executive market. It's up against cars ranging from the Honda Accord Tourer to the more expensive BMW 3-Series Touring.

Three trim levels and five engines are offered, with turbodiesels available for the first time in a Cadillac. An all-wheel-drive version of the top V6 model is due in 2008, as is a bioethanol-compatible 2.0-litre turbo.

The BLS's prices have not yet been confirmed, but it's expected to be about £1,000 more than the saloon, giving a range from £22,500 to £32,000.

Reliability and Quality
The BLS has many of its parts in common with the trusty Saab 9-3 and Vauxhall's Vectra and Signum, and is built alongside the 9-3 at Saab's factory in Trollhattan, Sweden. The engines and gearboxes have all proved reliable elsewhere in the GM family.

Fit and finish of the BLS's interior is mostly good, with some high-quality materials used. There are, however, some weaker areas: the roof lining (on some of the cars we've driven) is a poor fit and although the wood trim in top-spec models might hail from a tree, it looks cheap and tacky. Exterior panel gaps, although not as millimetre-tight as an Audi or BMW, are consistent.

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[camaro_freak]

I like it and it should be here right now.. would be a great way to bring people into Caddy and then later move up the product ladder!

[HoosierRon]

I just saw that Mercedes is selling a diesel powered E-class wagon that gets a combined 31 mpg (US). http://www.autobloggreen.com/2007/11...els-in-europe/

[mgescuro]

Originally Posted by camaro_freak

I like it and it should be here right now.. would be a great way to bring people into Caddy and then later move up the product ladder!

I think it would really be interesting, especially since the dollar is sooooo weak right now, GM might be able to do it and make a profit.

In either case, I guess you couldn't expect much more from the review.
If the BLS is anything like the 9-3, it really does need an upgrade in the interior; otherwise, it seems like a competent car.

[ByTheLake]

I'd rather have THIS Cadillac wagon:

[jbernie]

As much as we can GM for rebadges like this, the best thing for Cadillac is that they can use all the engine options Saab has and in Europe that is a big plus, it means they are selling more on looks than anything, but engine options removes one big complaint the media might have.

The AWD from the 9-3 Aero's seems to be getting great reviews so that won't hurt them either.

[Ultimate1]

the BLS has always been a great looker imo... too bad its fwd though.

[Squachy]

Originally Posted by ByTheLake

I'd rather have THIS Cadillac wagon:

Dont worry, you'll get to ride it when you're dead

[dagr382]

In the metal it's a handsome car but I was shocked at the cheap look of the upholstery. Barely OK as a short-term stopgap but NOT a Cadillac and the interior is old-school GM - ugh!

[mkaresh]

Originally Posted by dagr382

In the metal it's a handsome car but I was shocked at the cheap look of the upholstery. Barely OK as a short-term stopgap but NOT a Cadillac and the interior is old-school GM - ugh!

Isn't it essentially a Saab interior?

Weak dollar hurts, because this car is made in Europe.

[telo]

I love this wagon. I like wagons in general, but a Cadillac wagon makes be drool. I can't wait for a CTS wagon.

[EldoFan]

I can def. see the Saab shining through and am kinda glad this thing won't be hitting our shores....

However...it's looking more and more every day like the wagon will be reborn here in the US in a few yrs.......

We have....
The Commodore Sportwagon/G8 Wagon (rumored)
Aura (Vectra) Wagon (rumored)
CTS Wagon
Astra 5 Door (you say hatchback, I say mini-wagon! )

[paul8488]

I personally wouldn't have known that was a Saab (at least from the outside) if I wasn't told. The interior door panels are a giveaway, but the dash is different (and quite nice). It's hard just being a competent car in the luxury class, but, well, that's what the BLS is.

What baffles me once again is that it was somehow worth it to spend the money for a significantly different interior and dash for the 9-3 to create the BLS for a few world markets (they'll sell what, 1000 this year, worldwide?), but the Cobalt (a car that should be a 200,000+ a year model in the US) sits unchanged for another few years. I know Caddy is important, but GM really needs to be smarter with their (obviously) rare development dollars. Heck, that kind of effort on the G6 dash would have wielded a greater effect than making a pretty Caddy dash for a car for Europe that no one buys.

[zl-1]

There was a black one with Dutch plates driving around Lisbon a couple of weeks ago and it's a good looking wagon IMO.

[yello430]

Originally Posted by zl-1

There was a black one with Dutch plates driving around Lisbon a couple of weeks ago and it's a good looking wagon IMO.

Cadillac did the European launch of the BLS wagon and the CTS sedan in Cascais , Portugal two weeks ago . There were at least 15 CTS and a like number of BLS wagons for the European press to drive . The cars were all registered by Kroymans ( the GM distributer) out of Amsterdam hence the plates .