Cadillac BLS Wagon: the lowdown

What does a fledgling brand like Cadillac do when it needs to expand its range in Europe? Simple. It nabs a compact exec estate from sister firm Saab, swaps the badge and some styling details, and hey presto - the new Caddy BLS Wagon.

The small estate will arrive in autumn 2007 costing around £21,500. Although Cadillac is relatively new to the European market, it has never sold a wagon in its 104-year history anywhere in the world.

So what's different from the Saab estate?

The BLS Wagon has the unmissable Caddy egg-crate grille, more perpendicular headlights, and the upright rear lights that have come to characterise the US brand; you won't mistake it for anything other than a Saab-derived special, though. Especially when you look at the spec sheet and spot three familiar turbocharged petrols and one turbodiesel:

• 173bhp 2.0 petrol turbo

• 207bhp 2.0 petrol turbo

• 252bhp 2.8 V6 petrol

• 148bhp 1.9 diesel

Although Cadillac hasn't released any interior pictures yet, it will obviously mimic the existing BLS saloon's. Its 9-3 lineage suggests 419 litres load capacity day to day, or 1273 with the rear seats flopped down. Prices and equipment will be confirmed later this year, but we know the Caddy will have a Bose sound system, DVD sat-nav with touch-screen control and a Bluetooth phone system.

http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/first_officia...=567&page=1

I think the rear looks great BUT the front end looks miss proportioned.

Of course this could just be the usual curse of POOR quality GM press photos.

I'll wait for more pics before judgement. The height looks misproportioned.

Yeah the front view looks oddly out of shape.

It's not just the front. That looks funny - like a bad chop. Not awful, but I don't like it either.

Eh, it's ok...something about it looks out of proportion. Those wheels are sexy though.

I think its the headlights that are off. They extend too far into the fender and are too large for such a small car. Are these straight from the BLS sedan...I haven't really looked at them.

The height thing seems okay, do you think it is the roof rails giving the perception of being too tall?

Edited March 12, 200719 yr by CreativeVision

i think its neat but i doubt it would fly in the US. We need a better SRX. Let the poseurs buy the X3 and 3 wagon. The 9-3 sportcombi does not need internal competition here.

Seriously looks like a chop.

I think it would look better if the front part of the beltline was raised. Also i think the windshield needs to extend further back. The front end looks narrow.

Look at the front wheel. It's a really bad chop.

It shares its proportions with the 9-3 SportCombi. No shocker there.

Am I the only one who thinks it is nice looking?

it's not bad but caddy needs the cts wagon to be more like the magnum with a "chopped" top look. if they keep this look all i'll ever think is whose riding around with the casket in the back?

Edited March 12, 200719 yr by zeek

Just to show why GM still hasn't figured out alphanumerics yet: This should be a BLW.

On second thought, it's probaly better off a BLS Estate, since the BLoW joke kind of writes itself.

It's surprisingly pleasant and fresh. I like it more than the sedan.

I'm also loving the wheels..

That rising beltline and general roof shape... all SAAB. If I hadn't seen the SportCombi first, I'd like this better than I do.

I actually like it more than the Saab 9-3 wagon...

It's okay. The SportCombi has more character and personality, though.

Looks like a chop job to me. Wheels....good, roof rails.....bad. Messes the picture up. You would think after all this time, they could find a decent photographer (or someone could spend more time on the chop.)

If the Sedan did not sell well, why waste the money on the "Estate" version? The detail of the Sedan's C-pillar area, one of its few strong points, is missing--to the detriment of this car. The roof rails are nicely done. Although he is not one of my favorite automotive pundits, this link takes you to a thought-provoking article that sums up why this added model was a complete waste for General Motors:

http://www.forbes.com/columnists/2006/11/1..._1114flint.html

I wouldn't buy it, but I wouldn't tell someone not to. I think it looks fine as a wagon. It's just not my style.

If the Sedan did not sell well, why waste the money on the "Estate" version? The detail of the Sedan's C-pillar area, one of its few strong points, is missing--to the detriment of this car. The roof rails are nicely done. Although he is not one of my favorite automotive pundits, this link takes you to a thought-provoking article that sums up why this added model was a complete waste for General Motors:

http://www.forbes.com/columnists/2006/11/1..._1114flint.html

Its Jerry Flint who cares!! The guy was propped up for the picture cause he is dead and completly out of touch with the real world That guy has hated GM forever. I don't value his opinion what so ever, but the BLS wagon doesn't look too bad I guess.

no thanks.

The front looks odd and a bodyside molding would go far in breaking up the bland side but we should have more wagon choices and this would be a good one to have available.

I just want the BLS is the US? Is it still coming they said for the next generation, and if it is as sexy as the current one I just might have to look at one. If it is Saab 9-3 priced or a little more. A poor mans Cadillac has always appealed to me, that might be why I like slightly used DTS's so much!

I think it's pretty great looking. I like the Sportcombi equally, but only because I really like Saab style, but this is actually fresher and cooler looking.

I'd much rather have a G6 estate. Seriously. I think the Pontiac would have made for an attractive estate.

I like Cadillacs and wagons too, but this doesn't mesh quite right. I think seeing it without roofrails would improve my opinions. Sportcombi looks worlds better.

Edited March 16, 200719 yr by AM6_Cutlass

Now I have 2 times the hate for the BLS! Seriously, the BLS is ugly in sedan form and now in wagon form. GM should have waited for the new CTS before it started pushing the Cadillac brand in Europe. The BLS looks like a rush job.

Not bad, but the CTS will make this look like cheap, chinzy $h!.. They need to work on that.

The front overhang is still DIS-GUS-TING!!!!!

x 1,000,000

Makes a Catera look like an Skyline GT-R R34

The front overhang is still DIS-GUS-TING!!!!!

x 1,000,000

Makes a Catera look like an Skyline GT-R R34

DO NOT compare that bloated Cavalier with the awesome GT-R

Some more pictures: link. Front-end looks better in sedan form. I wonder if the BLS will get XWD...

Some more pictures: link. Front-end looks better in sedan form. I wonder if the BLS will get XWD...

Doesn't EU rules require amber colored turn signal in the rear of vehicles? This BLS doesn't have them, I wonder why?

Doesn't EU rules require amber colored turn signal in the rear of vehicles? This BLS doesn't have them, I wonder why?

It does. Both BLS and BLS wagon have them, they just have a red cover over the lamps/LEDs. The VW Phaeton has its amber LEDs tur signals under a red cover too: clicky.

Edited July 22, 200718 yr by ZL-1

It does. Both BLS and BLS wagon have them, they just have a red cover over the lamps/LEDs. The VW Phaeton has its amber LEDs tur signals under a red cover too: clicky.

Cheaters!

Cheaters!

Like I've written 1,000,000,000 times before, I happen think the all red covers look better than the cheap-tuner-like-covers they use in the Euro-spec STS. The SRX actually looks nice with the darker cover.

There's one thing I don't get in EU regs though: in cars like the STS and the Corvette (rear side markers that are not integrated into the rear lights), those rear side markers have to be amber. However in the Saab SportCombi and in several Volvos (rear side marker lights integrated into the rear lights), they're red...

Like I've written 1,000,000,000 times before, I happen think the all red covers look better than the cheap-tuner-like-covers they use in the Euro-spec STS. The SRX actually looks nice with the darker cover.

There's one thing I don't get in EU regs though: in cars like the STS and the Corvette (rear side markers that are not integrated into the rear lights), those rear side markers have to be amber. However in the Saab SportCombi and in several Volvos (rear side marker lights integrated into the rear lights), they're red...

Well it's the EU, what more can I say?

Well it's the EU, what more can I say?