Caddy to spring BLS, BLC on Europe

Posted Feb 5, 2005, 3:11 PM ET by Walter J Keegan Jr.

Here’s a first for Cadillac, a specific model just for the European market. It looks like a BLS sedan and BLC coupe, smaller than the CTS and built on the Epsilon platform (Saab 9-3), will bring Cadillac into the smaller FWD market. The cars will break cover during the Geneva show early next month. Smaller Cadillacs are not destined for North America, as Cadillac NA does not want a car positioned under the CTS here. Whether or not this is just a warmed over 9-3 or a “true” Cadillac is unsure. One thing is for sure, if the quality and “Caddy-ness” of this car is not up to par, GM might as well kiss any credibility in the European arena goodbye.


Via Autoblog.com: http://www.autoblog.com/entry/1234000400030511/



Guess we'll have to wait for pictures before really being able to form an opinion.... interesting news tho.

If Cadillac brought this to our side of the pond equipped with awd standard and with suitable, hi-po engines I think it would go over very well indeed. I will also agree that Cadillac needs to do this car "right" if they want to garner any credibility in Europe, but done correctly I feel the car could do just that. A lot of people seem to worry that a car like this would "hinder" caddy's image here in the US and is inappropriate, but done correctly as I state above there is no reason it should.

However, Cadillac has a lot more to worry about on the service front if they want to be world class than in arears like these IMO. The disaster that was the Catera comes to mind, with the real shame being GM telling buyer of this car to take a very long walk down a very short pier..even to the point of rescinding warranty and service extensions they intitiated when they became too expensive by claiming people misunderstood what they had actually stated.

I mention this because Caddy service has not yet approached the level of Lexus, BMW, Mercedes or even Infiniti service here on our shores...I wonder if it is any better overseas. Heck, even the average Acura dealer trounces what you typically get at the Caddy store. A lot of this is simply old franchises that are not up to snuff , but GM needs to remedy this as owners do not to care why it is this way....just that it is.

GM has to handle this better in Europe than they have in NA, but i wonder if they did previously or even if they will now? Service is what GM should really be worried about with these cars, both here and in Europe.

I agree, and even on the home front here, I look forward to Cadillacs response on the Rear Diff failure issue here on the CTS-V's... We wont know until the hand has been played.