REPORT: Slow-selling Europe-only Cadillac BLS euthanized
In a move that can only be described as "What took so long?" Autotelegraaf reports that Cadillac has pulled the plug on its BLS. The BLS, of course, was the front-wheel drive smaller Cadillac that was only offered for sale in Europe. We say "offered" because sales of the BLS made the old Cimarron look like a home run by comparison. The BLS was little more than a re-bodied Saab 9-3 in either sedan or wagon form, and it was built alongside the aformentioned Swede in Trollhättan. Cadillac spokesman Klaus-Peter Martin has confirmed with us that production actually quietly ended in June.
The BLS never came close to hitting GM's 10,000 unit per year sales target and with the parent company divesting itself of Saab, it only makes sense to kill off the model. While dropping the BLS, General Motors is adding its CTS Sportwagon which is expected to help boost CTS sales in estate-happy Europe, as will a 2.9-liter V6 diesel engine option.
Later next year, the lower end of Cadillac's lineup is expected to be filled out with a new rear-wheel drive ATS which will hopefully prove to be a much more viable competitor.
Gallery: 2008 Cadillac BLS wagon
[Source: Autotelegraaf.nl]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
hokieman09 2:30PM (8/17/2009)
About time
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Not THAT Matt 3:20PM (8/17/2009)
BLS = Bacon Lettuce... Sandwich?
I'm glad to see the General making a coherent decision... the CTS Wagon looks incredible, and the ATS sounds incredible as well. Should (hopefully) do well in Europe.
James 3:31PM (8/17/2009)
Incidentally, the ATS will replace the BLS.
ATS...probably meant "Affordable Touring Sedan".
Andrew 4:32PM (8/17/2009)
@Not that Matt
Sorry, Cadillac's biggest problem is the brand name. It's not worth anything in Europe, it does not have the brand "caché".
And most of the models are just too "alien" for most Europeans including me.
I do like some of the designs, but I would certainly not pay premium money for them. I would much rather have an Audi.
MachinaDC5 2:32PM (8/17/2009)
With a name like BLS how could it NOT sell?!
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O.Z.Racing_UK 2:36PM (8/17/2009)
Because the car itself is utter crap.
James 2:46PM (8/17/2009)
BLS...sounds like B(ul)LS(hit).
sparrk 2:54PM (8/17/2009)
i can't believe it , BLS ! like they wanted it to fail.
iQuack 2:41PM (8/17/2009)
Looks like a Hyundai Sonata with a Cadillac snout.
Amazing that anybody thought that drab thing would succeed.
Of course, there's plenty that's amazing about the "old" GM.
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Level 2:42PM (8/17/2009)
as far as badge engineering cars go this was not a bad example of how different you can make a car look from the original
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DJ 2:42PM (8/17/2009)
Gee, I don't anyone who reads Autoblog saw that one coming...........LIKE A YEAR AGO WHEN IT WAS ANNOUNCED! Did anyone think this was a good idea other than Rick Waggoner?
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Ligor 2:48PM (8/17/2009)
to bad as this car was badged a Caddy
this could have been a nice Chevy to compete right against the Jetta
it's a 9-3 adn the handling to the Jetta is comparable and size wise they also are alike, so for $2-25k this could have been a sucess in the US sold under the Chevy (or at that time Saturn)
i'm glad that this will not be the new low model Caddy in the US and we're getting a proper RWD instead. that was such a huge relief when it was announced
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Michael 2:53PM (8/17/2009)
Read this article/review of the BLS (LOL)
http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/cadillac-bls/
"In fact, the BLS is another in a long line of badly judged badge-engineering bodge jobs that’ve been ruining The General's brands for decades. GM’s decision to export the BLS to South Africa and, gulp, Mexico, is a cynical attempt to see if car buyers in smaller markets are more amendable to mediocrity than the Euro Zone. If I can speak for the Mexicans, we aren’t. In fact, GM should kill this model before it pisses away any remaining respect for the once great Cadillac name, or teaches new drivers that Cadillac is the sub-standard of the world."
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why not the LS2LS7? 5:01PM (8/17/2009)
http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2009-volkswagen-routan-review/
Oddly, they say the Routan is desirable. That site doesn't even pretend to be unbiased.
fizzandpop 3:20PM (8/17/2009)
"The sub-standard of the world" v.funny.
They could have called this the PLS, as in PLeaSe buy this. What was it based on again? The first gen Vectra? Gone and totally forgotten.
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Greg Aryous 3:19PM (8/17/2009)
Caddy has really destroyed their Credibility in Europe with this repeated junk. It doesn't matter how good the CTS wagon is, its too late...
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Mr.Oak 3:34PM (8/17/2009)
Extremely STUPID statement. Unless the world ends tomorrow. Early BMWs sold in the US were very mediocre, look up the history of the AUDI 5000 / 100, ultra crappy, they've recovered. With Cadillac cranking out V-Series cars that humiliate the M5 & AMGs, they'll be fine.
Rich 4:14PM (8/17/2009)
Caddi-what?
You're both wrong, and here's why: Cadillac isn't known in the EU. It hasn't achieved any sort of exposure. Talk of "recovered" then, is somewhat ignoring the fact that they haven't really *lost* reputation to be able to recover. It's just going to take them longer to build that reputation.
But even the new model isn't going to shake the European car market up. It looks utter s__t compared to other comparable EU models -- cheap and tacky (especially that radiator grille from the Vauxhall Carlton parts bin). The proportions are all wrong (like most other American cars).
Andrew 4:39PM (8/17/2009)
@Mr.Oak
Hahahaha, Cadillac has no high status in Europe. I'm sorry, you are just defending the US status of the brand. I'm sure it's well regarded at home, but it's no contender here in Europe.
I'm not even claiming their cars are any better or worse than BMWs, Audis or Mercedes' - I'm just saying Cadillac has nothing to defend in Europe.
Mr.Oak 5:00PM (8/17/2009)
Andrew: That is understood. But to say that they will NEVER is stupid. Corvette has changed a lot of people's minds in less than 2 generations. The C-5 was past half way through it's cycle by the time it got to LeMans.
Hell, the ZR-1 and CTS-V gen II has stopped a lot of yapping about pushrod engines.