| Cadillac BLS | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Saab (General Motors) |
| Production | 2005–2009 (Sweden) 2009–2010 (Russia) |
| Assembly | Trollhättan,Sweden (Saab Automobile) Kaliningrad,Russia (Avtotor)[1][2] |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Compact executive car (D) |
| Body style | 4-doorsaloon 5-doorestate |
| Layout | FF layout |
| Platform | GM Epsilon platform |
| Related | Fiat Croma Chevrolet Malibu Opel Signum Opel Vectra C Saab 9-3 Saturn Aura |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine |
|
| Transmission | 5-speedautomatic 6-speedautomatic 5-speedmanual 6-speedmanual |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 2,680 mm (105.5 in) |
| Length | 4,680 mm (184.3 in) 4,716 mm (185.7 in) (estate) |
| Width | 1,750 mm (68.9 in) 1,752 mm (69.0 in) (estate) |
| Height | 1,470 mm (57.9 in) 1,543 mm (60.7 in) (estate) |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | Cadillac Cimarron |
| Successor | Cadillac ATS |
TheCadillac BLS is acompact executive car that was marketed inEurope byCadillac, sharingGeneral Motors'Epsilon architecture, as a restyled variant of theSaab 9-3. Development was carried out bySaab and the car was manufactured inTrollhättan,Sweden, alongside theSaab 9-3 and theSaab 9-5. Sales of thesaloon began in March 2006, with anestate joining the line for 2007. Starting in 2007, the BLS was sold in theMiddle East,Mexico,South Africa andSouth Korea.
BLS production reached 3,257 in 2006[3] and 2,772 in 2007.[3][4] Production ended in 2009.[5] Until the GT4 was introduced in 2023, the BLS was the only Cadillac never sold in North America.
The BLS was available with a diesel engine (a 1.9 L turbocharged four-cylinder) and twopetrol engines (a 2.8 L turbocharged V6 and a 2.0 L available with two power levels).
At 184.3 in (4,681 mm) in overall length, the BLS was almost six inches shorter than theCTS, the smallest Cadillac that was available in the United States or Canada.
Engines:
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.[6]
[7]
[8][9][10]The BLS is known by many as the "Bob Lutz Special" - a reference to Vice ChairmanBob Lutz who oversaw all GM product development at the time.[11] 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 theCadillac SLS in China.
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