Cars Service

2006 Cadillac BLS Review

Trying to spread its newfound success to Europe, Cadillac is debuting in Geneva its latest effort, the BLS. Based on the Epsilon platform that underpins the Saab 9-3 and Chevy Malibu, the Cadillac BLS is a compact four-door sport sedan that takes aim at cars like the Audi A4.







The BLS will only be available in eco-conscience Europe, and the engine lineup reflects that. A turbo-diesel will power a Cadillac for the first time; the 1.9-liter unit joins three gasoline offerings. The design of the car is uniquely Cadillac, and certainly unlike anything currently on European roads.

It shares the same upright grille and headlights as the other neo-Cadillacs, and from the back it looks very similar to the new STS. But we think GM could have done a better job masking the steering wheel--it appears to have been ripped from a Saab 9-3 intact and disguised only with a feeble Cadillac sticker in the center.

The exterior styling is distinctive with a wedge-shaped profile and a look that isnt going to be confused with any other marque on the road. The huge vertically-stacked headlights and tail lights are interesting design touches and there are V-shaped motifs within the grille and the number plate surrounds. The crease along the cars hipline looks sharp enough to slice prime rib and the interior is certainly a cut above the usual American fare. Theres often a disappointing sensation of getting into a cheap hire car at LAX whenever we sit in an American import but the BLS offers a clean if not adventurously styled fascia.

Three trim levels will be available across the BLS range. The standard trim level, SE, offers 16-inch alloy wheels, engine immobiliser, front, side and curtain airbags, driver trip computer, three-spoke leather steering wheel with audio control buttons, cruise control, air conditioning, front and rear electric windows, a seven-speaker audio system with CD player, and Piano Black interior decor trim. The intermediate trim level, Luxury, features additional standard equipment including Cadillacs StabiliTrak electronic stability programme, wipers with rain sensors, an eight-way electrically adjustable drivers seat, dual-zone climate control and 17-inch alloy wheels. Red walnut wood veneer trim enhances the interior decor.

The top of the range Sport Luxury trim level additionally offers 18-inch alloy wheels, sports suspension, xenon headlamps, and heated, electrically adjustable leather front seats with memory function. The Sports Luxury package will initially only be offered with the 255bhp 2.8-litre V6 petrol engine. Perhaps Cadillac could have done a little more with the steering wheel that looks a little too much like a hastily rebranded Saab item.

"The Cadillac BLS offers distinctive styling, sensible running costs and a genuine alternative to the usual suspects"

The engineering underneath the car is tried and tested GM fare. That means that youll get a front wheel drive chassis with a choice of either a 175bhp 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo model or a 2.8-litre V6 turbo that punches out a hefty 255bhp.

Theres even a 1.9-litre direct injection turbodiesel engine thats good for 150bhp, a first for Cadillac. Itll notch off the sprint to 60mph in just 9.3 seconds but the in-gear acceleration times that really indicate a diesel engines torque response have been slashed dramatically.

The 1.9-litre TiDs powertrain includes the most advanced diesel particulate filter on the market, enabling Euro IV emissions compliance - an essential requirement for many company car drivers. Unlike other particulate traps, it is maintenance-free and self-cleaning, requiring no additives or periodic replacement. In order to clean the filter and to keep the exhaust flow as free as possible, these deposits are periodically burnt off by short pulses of over-fuelling.

These briefly raise exhaust temperatures to the required level of 600º C. The process is automatically initiated when back pressure in the exhaust system reaches a certain level and is completely undetectable by the driver. The self-cleaning process takes place whenever necessary, irrespective of throttle load or engine temperature. Pricing looks sharp with the entry-level 2.

0-litre just slipping below the £21,000 barrier at £20,728, while the 1.9-litre turbodiesel opens at £21,473. Opt for the range-topping 2.8 V6 model and youll need to find £30,998.


Vehicle type: front-engine, front-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan
Price (U.K.): $34,870
Engines: turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve 1.9-liter diesel inline-4, 150 hp, 236 lb-ft; DOHC 16-valve 2.0-liter inline-4, 175–210 hp, 195–221 lb-ft; turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve 2.8-liter V-6, 255 hp, 258 lb-ft
Transmissions: 5- or 6-speed automatic with manumatic shifting, 5- or 6-speed manual
Wheelbase: 105.3 in
Length/width/height: 184.3/69.0/57.9 in
Curb weight: 3200–3600 lb