The Cadillac BLS was a compact executive car marketed in Europe from 2006 to 2009. It shared General Motors’ Epsilon architecture with the Saab 9-3, was developed by Saab and was built alongside the 9-3 and 9-5 in Trollhattan, Sweden.
Cadillac BLS at a glance
| Maker | Cadillac, General Motors |
|---|---|
| Production | 2006-2009 |
| Class | compact executive car |
| Platform | GM Epsilon, shared with the Saab 9-3 |
| Assembly | Trollhattan, Sweden |
| Bodies | saloon from March 2006, estate from 2007 |
| Length | 4,681 mm |
| Engines | 1.9 L turbodiesel, 2.0 L turbo petrol, 2.8 L turbo V6 |
| Built, 2006 | 3,257 |
| Built, 2007 | 2,772 |
| Markets | Europe, Middle East, Mexico, South Africa, South Korea |
Based on one source: the English Wikipedia article on the BLS. No free photographs were found.
History of the Cadillac BLS
The BLS was a restyled variant of the Saab 9-3, developed by Saab and manufactured in Sweden. Sales of the saloon started in March 2006, with an estate joining the range for 2007. From 2007 the car was also sold in the Middle East, Mexico, South Africa and South Korea. Production reached 3,257 cars in 2006 and 2,772 in 2007, and ended in 2009.
A Cadillac for Europe only
At 4,681 mm long, the BLS was almost six inches shorter than the CTS, the smallest Cadillac then available in the United States or Canada. It was never offered in North America: until the GT4 was introduced in 2023, the BLS was the only Cadillac never sold there. Even the name points the same way – General Motors said BLS stood for “B-segment Luxury Sedan”, a class below the CTS, following the Seville Luxury Sedan that later became the Cadillac SLS in China.
Bob Lutz’s car
The model became known as the “Bob Lutz Special”, after the GM vice chairman who oversaw product development at the time and who backed badge engineering. Lutz wanted to use the Saab 9-3 to fill gaps in Cadillac’s range. The result was a commercial failure, but the same techniques of badge engineering later contributed to other GM successes. European reviews were lukewarm: Auto Express called it “OK, but offers nothing new in a market overflowing with talent”.
Design and features
- Saab underneath: the Epsilon platform, mechanicals and safety structure of the Saab 9-3.
- Cadillac on top: unique exterior sheet metal and lighting, different wheels, a dashboard with an integrated analogue clock between the air vents, and a centre console with dual cupholders.
- Cadillac details: a traditionally mounted ignition switch in the steering column, white instrument lighting instead of green, and the Cadillac logo on engine covers, steering wheel and first-aid kits.
- Diesel option: a 1.9 L Fiat turbodiesel four, unusual for a Cadillac.
Cadillac BLS versions
- 1.9 L turbodiesel: 150 hp, and 180 hp from 2007.
- 2.0 L Ecotec turbo: 175 hp in mid-pressure form, 210 hp with high pressure.
- 2.0 T FlexPower: 200 hp, able to run on E85.
- 2.8 L turbo V6: 250 hp.
- Estate: added to the range for 2007.
The BLS sat below the CTS in the European range and was a distant successor to the compact Cimarron. More Cadillacs are in the Cadillac collection.
Video: Cadillac BLS 2.8T V6: Vorstoss in die Mittelklasse
Video by Motor1 Deutschland on YouTube.
Sources
- Cadillac BLS, English Wikipedia: production, engines, differences from the Saab 9-3
