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AMERICAN BEAUTY
Cadillacs BLS Wagon is worth a serious look
Irrespective of what the cynics say, Cadillacs are not the chrome-laden barges of old.
Theres been plenty of activity in recent years, what with the arrival of a compact executive saloon and posh off-roader. All of which, as Im sure youll agree, is very European in approach.
To further endear itself with European buyers, those nice folks at Cadillac have introduced a compact executive-size estate car.
Based on the BLS saloon, the BLS Wagon is just as you would expect an estate car to be. Its around the same size as its European rivals and can be had with a very European selection of diesel engines along with a number of upmarket petrol units.
Only - and heres the ironic bit - Americans dont really do estate cars. Certainly not this size anyway; when they want a load-lugger its usually a full-size SUV. And dont even bother to mention diesel.
So you could say the BLS Wagon is something of a departure for Cadillac. Its rather easy on the eye, too.
In profile the car is quite the looker as far as estate cars go, what with its long, gently sloping roofline and straight-down tailgate. At the front this BLS is the same as its saloon brother, which is no bad thing as the cars nose and grille arrangement is quite distinctive.
And its that very fact that Cadillac hopes will help propel the BLS Wagon high up the shopping lists of potential buyers.
There are many compact executive holdalls to choose from these days, but if you want something distinctive theres not much else around to touch the BLS.
If the BLS Wagon dares to look a little unconventional, the truth is that underneath all the glamour it couldnt be more conventional.
Inside youve got room for five, with the space up front particularly generous. At the back theres enough room for a growing family, while at the rear the load space area is usefully flat and wide, while the tailgate itself requires little effort to raise and lower.
The executive sector is one where brand image is king. You only have to see the number of low-spec BMWs around to realise that image is an important deciding factor for many buyers and user choosers. If it wasnt, youd be seeing a lot more high-spec Ford Mondeos around – the actual cost of the Ford and BMW models is not that dissimilar.
Anyway, you get my point. And this is where Cadillacs offerings have the potential to shine. There are as many people who dont want a German car as those that do, and if you want to make a statement or simply not follow the herd, the BLS could be what youre after.
Theres no need to compromise on the buying decision either. Cadillac has done much to tailor the car to the executive market: supportive seats, generous levels of equipment and fleet-friendly diesel engines.
And its the latter element thats likely to put the car on a good footing when it comes to making a decision.
Granted, Cadillac offers the BLS Wagon with four petrol motors (a trio of 2.0-litre turbo motors in differing states of tune and a high power 2.8 V6 turbo) but the pair of oil burners is likely to make both fleet managers and drivers smile the most.
Like with the majority of petrol units, diesel power comes courtesy of one 1.9-litre turbo motor in two different states of tune: 150 and 180 horsepower. In manual gearbox form the former boasts a decent 44.8mpg on the combined economy cycle and a reasonable 167g/km CO2 rating. Curiously, the 180 horsepower unit does even better: 47.9mpg and 156g/km respectively.
Frankly, if you can afford the more powerful engine variant it comes highly recommended. Performance is brisk, refinement levels are very good and, on the basis of the figures, surprisingly affordable despite the higher level of performance.
There might only be about half a second in the 180PS cars favour for the zero to 602mph sprint (8.7 against 9.2 seconds) but the overall experience is noticeably more enjoyable.
With only one trim level (Elegance) the only thing you need to worry about is picking an auto gearbox over the default manual device. Factor in the generous levels of standard kit - leather, full suite of electronic safety aids and airbags, roof rails, privacy glass, 17-inch alloys, rear parking sensors, cruise control, chilled glovebox, climate
control, 11-speaker audio system plus Bluetooth phone connection and much more - and its hard not to be impressed.
As a complete package - space, looks, performance, equipment - its hard to fault Cadillacs BLS Wagon.
There are other more driver orientated cars around, but you often sacrifice comfort in the process. This cars more balanced approach is something you learn to appreciate the more you drive it.
The copious amounts of kit help sweeten the deal, while the choice of diesel engines available proves that Cadillac is taking this venture very seriously indeed.
FACTS AT A GLANCE
Model: Cadillac BLS Wagon 1.9 D Elegance 180ps, from £22,545 on the road.
Engine: 1.9-litre diesel unit developing 178bhp.
Transmission: 6-speed manual transmission as standard, driving the front wheels.
Performance: Maximum speed 134mph, 0-62mph 9.1 seconds.
CO2 emissions: 156g/km.
Economy: 47.9mpg.
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