BLS named "Best Winter Car" in Finland

Finland's Tekniikan Maailma magazine, in a comparison of 20 of the newest models available in Europe, has found the Cadillac BLS to be the Winter Car 2007. Key to the BLS' win was its scores in tests for "low-grip handling, braking stability and grip on uphill starts, as well as its headlamp performance and ability to heat the interior to a comfortable 15 degrees (C) in just 10 minutes from a sub-zero startup." Read the entire GM press release celebrating the win below:BREUKELEN – The Cadillac BLS, the first Cadillac to be designed specifically with the demands of European driving conditions in mind, has been honoured with the “Winter Car 2007” Award by Finland’s Tekniikan Maailma magazine. The award was presented to Jim Taylor, Cadillac’s General Manager by Martti Merilinna, COTY member and Chief Editor of Finland’s leading motoring magazine, at the Geneva Motor Show. Cadillac’s luxury midsize saloon was awarded the title after a demanding test featuring 20 of the newest models on the European market from the past 12 months, including competitors from Volvo, Peugeot, Honda and Skoda. The TM Winter Test is highly regarded among customers and the auto industry. It is particularly significant since Finland is renowned as having some of the most severe winter driving conditions in Europe. Temperatures as low as minus 30 degrees are commonplace in the Arctic North of Finland and high-friction snow tyres are used during the winter months. The front wheel-drive Cadillac BLS was launched across Europe in 2006 and offers the first-ever turbo diesel variant in the brand’s history. As with the three petrol variants, the 150 hp turbo diesel delivers the dynamic driving performance that customers expect from Cadillac. All BLS models offer expressive design, outstanding ride and acoustic comfort. The Tekniikan Maailma winter driving test set out to determine which car would, “... in this sparsely populated land of the cold and dark winter... take us to our destination in safety, comfort and warmth.” The Cadillac BLS proved more than capable of meeting the extraordinary demands of the tough Finnish winter. The Tekniikan Maailma tests took the cars from Helsinki, the Finnish capital, to the internationally renowned test track at Ivalo in Northern Finland. The Cadillac scored top marks in tests including low-grip handling, braking stability and grip on uphill starts, as well as its headlamp performance and ability to heat the interior to a comfortable 15 degrees in just 10 minutes from a sub-zero startup. “Here is the best ever Cadillac one could hope for in winter use,” said the TM testers. Their comments prove a key aim of the BLS design team: to create a Cadillac in harmony with the toughest European driving conditions.