The Cadillac BLS is a

compact executive car A compact executive car, also known as a compact luxury car, is a premium car larger than a #Subcompact executive cars, premium compact and smaller than an executive car. Compact executive car is a UK term and a part of the D-segment in the Euro ...

that was marketed in

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Cadillac Cadillac Motor Car Division, or simply Cadillac (), is the luxury vehicle division (business), division of the American automobile manufacturer General Motors (GM). Its major markets are the United States, Canada and China; Cadillac models are ...

, sharing

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architecture, as a restyled variant of the Saab 9-3. Development was carried out by Saab and the car was manufactured in

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, alongside the Saab 9-3 and the

Saab 9-5 The Saab 9-5 is an executive car, manufactured and marketed by Saab from 1997 to 2012, across two generations. The first generation 9-5 was introduced in 1997 for the 1998 model year, as the replacement of the Saab 9000. At the time, the car ...

. Sales of the saloon began in March 2006, with an estate joining the line for 2007. Starting in 2007, the BLS was sold in the

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and

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. BLS production reached 3,257 in 2006 and 2,772 in 2007.''Automobil Revue'', catalog 2008, p. 47 Production ended in 2009. Until the GT4 was introduced in 2023, the BLS was the only Cadillac never sold in North America.

Features

The BLS was available with a diesel engine (a 1.9 L turbocharged four-cylinder) and two

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engines (a 2.8 L turbocharged V6 and a 2.0 L available with two power levels). At in overall length, the BLS was almost six inches shorter than the CTS, the smallest Cadillac that was available in the United States or Canada. Engines: * 1.9 L

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turbodiesel I4 16v, 150 bhp (110 kW) * 1.9 L

turbodiesel I4 16v, 180 bhp (132 kW) (2007-) * 2.0 L '' Ecotec LK9'' I4, mid-pressure

turbo In an internal combustion engine, a turbocharger (also known as a turbo or a turbosupercharger) is a forced induction device that is powered by the flow of exhaust gases. It uses this energy to compress the intake air, forcing more air into the ...

, 175 bhp (129 kW) * 2.0 L '' Ecotec LK9'' I4, high-pressure

, 210 bhp (154 kW) * 2.0 T FlexPower 200 bhp (147 kW) * 2.8 L '' HFV6'' V6,

, 250 bhp (184 kW)

Differences from the Saab 9-3

Though a large percentage of BLS components were shared with the Saab 9-3, the BLS was differentiated from the 9-3 throughout the exterior and interior. Interior_BLS

* Unique exterior sheet metal and lighting elements on front and rear. * Different wheel options. * Unique upper dashboard design with an integrated analogue clock between central air vents. * Redesigned centre console with dual cupholders, eliminating the 9-3s flip-out cupholder. * Traditionally mounted

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in steering column. * Unique instrument cluster gauge design. White background lighting instead of green. * Additional seat stitching. * Unique headrests on front seats. * Cadillac logo replaced Saab logo on engine covers, steering wheel and first-aid kits

Reviews

Auto Express ''Auto Express'' is a weekly motoring magazine sold in the United Kingdom published by Carwow Group. The editor is Paul Barker. History and profile Launched in September 1988, its 1,000th issue was published on 20 February 2008. Its only w ...

'The BLS is OK, but offers nothing new in a market overflowing with talent.' * Evo
Stylish and quiet
Pushes no boundaries.
Honest John

Positives: Based on the Saab 9-3 so decent handling. Well proven mechanicals. Saab-grade safety.
Negatives: The ride is far from forgiving. Automatic doesn't work well with the V6 turbo, which also has overly light steering.
Verdict On Cars

'Average. It's built in Europe, shares most of its underpinnings with a Saab and will never see America - meet the strangest Cadillac ever.'

Name

The BLS is known by many as the "Bob Lutz Special" - a reference to Vice Chairman Bob Lutz who oversaw all GM product development at the time. Lutz, a supporter of badge engineering, wanted to leverage the Saab 9-3 to fill holes in Cadillac's product range. The reference to Bob Lutz can be viewed both as support and as criticism of his strategy. While the BLS was a market failure, many of the techniques of badge engineering employed in the BLS resulted in other GM product successes, most notably a significant improvement in overall passenger car product quality and performance output. According to GM, BLS stands for "B-segment Luxury Sedan", being in a smaller class than the CTS mid-size saloon. This is consistent with the Seville Luxury Sedan, later known as the Cadillac SLS in China.

References

External links

Fuel-cars.com: Technical SpecificationsParker's BLS ReviewWhatCar.Com BLS Review
{{Cadillac vehicles BLS Mid-size cars Compact executive cars Sedans Station wagons Front-wheel-drive vehicles Cars introduced in 2006 Cars discontinued in 2009 2010s cars