IN the troubled, turbulent world of General Motors, Cadillac has been one of the few glimmers of hope. Its imminent popularity even caught out GM itself. In the ’90s, when mainstream America woke up to the pleasures of the German and Japanese luxury saloons in huge numbers, Cadillac was almost forgotten. The only people who still bought Caddys then were Florida retirees. This made Cadillac seriously uncool. So uncool, you could say, that it went the full 360 degrees and became cool again, ironically with American rappers, movie stars and the like, who used the irony of driving something as passé as a Caddy to good effect in music videos. Suddenly, Cadillac was in again, and GM had nothing to do with it. Now the question was how to sustain the rebirth…
Art and Science, Cadillac’s newage design language, was born in the late ’90s with the Evoq concept, a car that later became the XLR roadster. Using stealth jetfighter-like lines, sharp angles and creases, Cadillacs suddenly demanded attention again. Even in America, sales started climbing. But the US of A is not Cadillac’s problem at the moment. Rather, after several failed attempts (in South Africa, too), Cadillac wants to make it big in Europe and the rest of the world. This is somewhat more difficult…
And that is where the BLS you see here comes in. This is a serious attempt at cracking the world market for compact executive saloons, a segment dominated by the German trio – BMW 3 Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class and Audi A4. It is also a segment that includes the Saab 9-3, a car that has tried, and failed, to take on the Germans. It is also this car that donates virtually 100 per cent of its under-the-skin parts to the Cadillac BLS. Hmm…
Looking at the BLS, it is hard to tell that there is a 9-3 underneath – the Art and Science design takes care of that. The BLS is perhaps not classically elegant, but its styling is very now, and very aggressive. Although the stealth-like lines dominate, there are some details to immediately mark the car out as a Caddy, such as the silver egg-crate grille in the front, and the tall, vertical tail-lamps that, with a bit of imagination, remind one of the tail fins of the ’50s. On-lookers generally gave the car a big thumbs-up.
Inside, it is much easier to pick up the Saab bits. The big steering wheel, with its awkwardly placed gearshift buttons, is the same, save for the badge on it. The unique handbrake, integrated into the centre console, has also made the transition. The key is identical, too, but the typically Saab centreconsole ignition slot has been replaced with a conventional one next to the steering column.
Generally, the BLS’s cabin is a nice place to be. The leather-upholstered seats are comfy and inviting with plenty of electric adjustment on offer. The driving position is very good, too. At first glance, the fake wood trim is one of the automotive world’s better efforts. It is only when you start looking closer, and touching, that the quality impression gets slightly lost – press some of that “wood” and you can hear it clicking in and out of its hidden mountings. The grey, plastic clock looks like an afterthought, and we noticed a few rattles from the facia.
The BLS has a wheelbase of 2 675 mm, which is beaten by a number of cars in this segment. But it is not cramped, especially in front where head-, elbow- and legroom are very good. Even in the back there is good headroom. Rear legroom, however, is nothing better than class average.
The features list is long, as it needs to be at this price. Standard items included are climate control, six airbags, electric windows (onetouch down all-round), leather upholstery, remote audio and gearshift buttons on the steering wheel, heated front seats, CD front loader, park sensors and cruise control. One irritating omission is the lack of automatic door unlocking when pulling on the interior door handles. A navigation system is not offered as an option initially, but could join the optional extras list later.
Under the bonnet is Saab’s turbocharged 2,8-litre V6 engine, driving the front wheels via a fivespeed automatic transmission. This top-of-the-range engine is fitted with a twin-scroll turbocharger and variable phasing of the inlet camshafts. It delivers an impressive 188 kW at 5 500 r/min, and 365 N.m of torque at a low 2 000. As the figures suggest, there isn’t a lack of torque low down, but it is certainly noticeable when all the horses arrive at the front wheels, especially when going around a corner on a bumpy surface. It is simply impossible to avoid torque steer in a car with so much power going only to the front wheels. But it’s only really a problem under those particular conditions.
Otherwise, you’ll be enjoying the engine’s thrust. We clocked a best 0-100 km/h time of 7,62 seconds that, though not class-leading, is certainly more than good enough. Overtaking acceleration was equally impressive, the smooth, quick shifting transmission aiding progress. A top speed of 241 km/h was recorded. Driven sedately, the engine can also be economical, as our fuel index figure of 11,05 litres/100 km shows.
Dynamically, the BLS was always going to drive virtually the same as the Saab 9-3, seeing as it rides on the same underpinnings – MacPherson struts in front, multilink at the rear and with anti-roll bars at both ends. The BLS is also fitted with an electronic stability programme. It rides on 18-inch Pirelli PZero Rosso tyres. Steering is via hydraulically assisted rack and pinion. Ventilated disc brakes are used all-round, measuring 285 mm in front and 292 mm at the rear. ABS, with BAS and CBC (Cornering Brake Control), is standard.
On the first drive home, the BLS gave its pilot a serious fright when the ABS failure warning light suddenly illuminated on the instrument panel, followed soon after by a similar light for the stability programme. It appeared to be more an electronic glitch than a real problem with the brakes. We were still quite cautious when the time came to do the emergency brake tests. Oddly, all went fine – no warning lights, and consistent times – except that the stopping times themselves were not terribly impressive for a car of this performance capability. Most vehicles in the BLS’s segment will beat its 3,0 second average stopping time.
To drive, the Saa… sorry, Cadillac, is a bit of a mixed bag. The ride is firm, very firm, to the point that ridges and other road irregularities are transmitted uncomfortably into the cabin. Pick up speed, and it gets better – the BLS is a fine, quiet cruiser, with plenty of grunt underfoot for overtaking. The steering is light, but fairly accurate, and there is good grip at the front, so driving the BLS over a smooth, twisty road can be entertaining. Predictably for such a powerful front driver, things go a bit pearshaped when the corners get tighter and the surfaces bumpier. You have to be careful and patient with the throttle on corner exit, because booting it results in a good dollop of torque steer. Restrain yourself, and drive with some concentration, however, and the BLS can be good fun. One annoying little thing, however, is that pressing the shift buttons on the steering wheel doesn’t automatically put the transmission into manual mode. You have to tap the lever. Another is that the seats don’t offer enough lateral support, so you tend to fall out of them when going around corners swiftly.
Test summary
It’s certainly different, this Cadillac, and for some people that fact, combined with the BLS’s interesting styling, will be enough. South Africans, young and old, know the Cadillac name, although it represents different things to them. This gives the marque an advantage, in that it comes to South Africa as a new brand, but one with an established reputation. After all, it is well known that a great number of cars in this country are bought simply because of the badge on the nose… Its exclusivity is further guaranteed by the fact that it will initially only be available through six dealerships.
However, take the badge, the uniqueness and styling out of the equation, and you have a car that, although competent, generally fails to threaten the class best. But it certainly is a good effort, and in a world running over with Beemers, Mercedes and Audis, those who want to cut a distinctive dash can do worse than settle for this Caddy.