Cadillac Produces First Wagon For Europe
Cadillac has always been known for their production of high quality luxury cars. The General Motors marque has been the choice for celebrity and rich folks over the years. And this can be attributed to the fact that the exterior and interior looks of a Cadillac vehicle is legendary.
Recently, the brand aims to make their presence felt even more outside of North America. The company announced that they have expanded their lineup of vehicles for the European market with the addition of their first ever wagon - the BLS Wagon.
Cadillac General Manager, Jim Taylor, has this to say about the BLS Wagon: “The Cadillac BLS Wagon is an appealing addition to the Cadillac portfolio for customers preferring dramatically designed luxury vehicles that offer versatility and performance along with outstanding ride and handling characteristics. This is the first Cadillac wagon in our 104-year history, and we think it will do well in many European markets where consumers desire a high degree of versatility and functionality in their performance luxury vehicles.”
The design of the Cadillac BLS is the brainchild of a collection of international auto designers led by Ed Welburn, the General Motors Vice President for Global Design. The result of the effort put into the deigning of the vehicle gives the BLS the trademark good looks of Cadillac vehicles.
The design concept used on Cadillac models are used in the new wagon. “The whole team was very excited to apply Cadillac’s design language to a wagon for the first time. The V-shaped chrome-plated grille, a Cadillac hallmark, is picked up again by the shape of the rear window, and the body side character lines make it unmistakably a Cadillac,” Welburn said in a statement in the announcement of the production of the Cadillac BLS.
The interior of the BLS is also one of the most luxurious in its class. The cockpit’s main feature is the three-spoke steering wheel ergonomically designed to give drivers a good grip. The instrument panel is characterized by round instruments which are easily visible to the driver with its black background for the white numerals and red needles.
The luxurious aspect of the vehicle is highlighted by the presence of a cutting edge entertainment system. Among the amenities offered by Cadillac on the BLS are a DVD player with touch-screen operation for those looking for technologically advanced features, a Bluetooth enabled cell phone system which lets users connect their Bluetooth enabled mobile phones to the car’s audio system, and remote control functions found and mounted on the steering wheel.
The design of the Cadillac BLS, both outside and inside will surely make this vehicle stand out in the consciousness of European car buyers. The first ever wagon from the luxury vehicle maker will no doubt manage to get a grip on the European market as strong as a Nissan clutch connecting the transmission and the engine.
By Ryan Thomas.
Visit the Blog about cadillac san jose californiaCadillac Means Quality
Part of the General Motors Corporation, and produced and mostly sold in the United States, the Cadillac is a brand of luxury automobiles. And in the United States, this brand name of luxury automobiles has become a synonym for “high quality”. Certainly, because of this, it has been used in certain lingo and phrases like “the Cadillac of clocks”. Cadillac was formed from the Henry Ford Company, and the automobile was named after the 17th century French explorer Antoine Laumet de La Mothe, sieur de Cadillac, who was the founder of Detroit, Michigan in 1701.
One of the vehicles running under the Cadillac name is the Cadillac Escalade. This vehicle is a luxury spin-off of the large Chevrolet/GMC SUVs, and is made available in three trim levels – the base SUV wagon, the longer Escalade ESV wagon, and the Escalade EXT pickup truck. The first two versions are sport utility vehicle wagons that has three rows of seats and can take in a capacity of seven passengers. The Cadillac Escalade EXT, on the other hand is a crew-cab pickup truck that has four doors. It is similar to the Chevrolet Avalanche, has a “midgate” wall between the cab and the cargo bed.
All the versions of the Cadillac Escalade feature an all-wheel drive and a 6.0 liter V8. The base wagon also comes as a 2WD model. All have automatic transmission, front side airbags, ABS, antiskid/traction control, tire-pressure monitor, and Cadillac’s automatic-adjusting Road Sensing Suspension. Also standard features for all trim levels of the Cadillac Escalade include a trailering package, power-adjustable gas and brake pedals, a rear obstacle detection, and OnStar assistance. The Escalade ESV Platinum Edition includes features like a navigation system, rear DVD entertainment, specific appearance touches, and 20-inch chrome alloy wheels instead of the usual standard 17-inch alloy wheels of the Escalade.
Acceleration for this vehicle is found to be ample despite occasional transmission delays in full-throttle downshifts. It has towing capacities of 7,400 lbs. for 2WD Escalades, 8,100 lbs. for AWD models, and 7,300 for EXT versions. It has an averaged 13.7-15.6 mpg in city or highway driving. The vehicle could get quite staggering at times. It is also very truck-like. The Cadillac Escalade ESV models have a longer wheelbase that provides a smoother feel on rough roads. As per the vehicle’s steering and handling, it is generally ponderous and has a slow response to steering inputs. It has light and vague steering that demands continuous attention on the highway. Also, it has a rear-leveling suspension that is standard and improves control with a heavy load. The brakes, however, feel soft but have adequate power. It provides a fine isolation from the wind, road, and engine noise. It also offers plenty of head and leg room and a vast shoulder width. Plush seats with fold-down armrests complete the interior. Commanding road view is given to drivers, and added in is a helpful audio/visual rear-obstacle-detection system that warns of the unseen when backing up.
By Stacey Wilson.
