Cadillac’s game plan is now clear.
When the luxury automaker revamped the Seville sedan and Eldorado coupe in 1992, it brought out two versions of the same nameplate, the Seville and Seville STS and the Eldorado and Eldorado Touring Coupe.
Same name, but different cars. The base Seville and Eldorado were designed for those who wanted all the bells and whistles that $30,000 can buy along with the traditional soft boulevard ride so they could enjoy the pampering bruise free. To them a car is meant for the pleasure that status brings.
Those who wanted the STS and Touring Coupe versions also wanted the bells and whistles that $30,000 could buy. And though certainly not offended by the Cadillac image, they wanted a more powerful engine and a more firmly tuned suspension so they could not only cruise down the boulevard, but also scoot along the expressway and air out the V-8 on the interstate. They wanted to feel the road, not the cushion that separates them from the pavement.
To them a car is meant for the pleasure of performance as measured in 0- to 60-mile-per-hour acceleration times, 60- to 0-m.p.h. stopping distances, sure-footed suspension in corners and turns despite the speed and nimble ride and handling. These are the people who appreciate the Taurus SHO and Bonneville SSEi, but who can afford $10,000 more for a car.
Seville/Seville STS. Eldorado/Eldorado Touring Coupe. Fraternal twins.
For the 1994 model year, that philosophy has been adopted by the new DeVille sedan, which has been redesigned and resized, but not regurgitated thanks to engine and suspension upgrades. Luxury fans will find a conservative base DeVille and a more outgoing DeVille Concours (Con kewer). Same names, different cars. Concours succeeds the Sixty Special as the top-of-the-line DeVille.
DeVille is not only Cadillac’s best-selling nameplate, it also has been the industry’s best-selling luxury car for eight years. If only 10 percent of those who own DeVilles should trade theirs in on a ’94, the factory would operate at capacity for the full year.
We had the opportunity to test the DeVille and its companion Concours as Cadillac prepares to launch the pair Oct. 7.
For ’94, DeVille/Concours are built off a stretch of the Eldorado/Seville K-body platform, meaning a three-inch-longer wheelbase, to 113.8 inches, and six-inch-longer overall length, to 209.7 inches. The longer wheelbase moves you farther from the point of impact at the wheels for a smoother ride; the added length means passengers are afforded more legroom, especially in the back seat, as well as increased trunk capacity (and a deck lid that opens at what appears to be a 90-degree angle for easy loading and unloading).
Though just a little stretch, DeVille/Concours look like someone attached them to the rack and pulled. They look very big, as well as very Fleetwood-like, which some confide is more than coincidental because at one time this was to be the body for the next generation Fleetwood.
DeVille/Concours offer four-wheel anti-lock brakes, driver- and passenger-side air bags and side-door impact protection that meets 1997 federal regulations as standard. And the passenger-side air bag inflates extra wide to protect for passenger- and middle-seat occupants. To eliminate shoulder belts riding on neck or cheek, both cars have belt-height adjusters in the roof pillars.
To give each some individuality, a few styling gimmicks were used. DeVillefeatures a standup hood ornament and thin body-side moldings, while Concours has the Cadillac wreath and crest fixed to the grille and comes with wide, ribbed, body-side moldings.
There also is some different equipment. DeVille offers traction control as an option, Concours as standard; DeVille has simulated interior wood trim, Concours real wood; DeVille offers AM stereo/FM stereo with cassette as standard, Concours the same but with CD player; Concours has pull-out-from-the-roof mirrors for rear-seat occupants, DeVille doesn’t; DeVille comes with 15-inch tires, Concours 16-inch.
A major difference is the powertrain. DeVille has a 4.9-liter, 200-horsepower, 16-valve, V-8, Concours a 4.6-liter, 270-h.p., 32-valve Northstar V-8, the first time a Northstar has appeared in a full-size Caddy sedan. Both are rated at 16 miles per gallon city/25 m.p.g. highway.
The Northstar responds more quickly to the pedal, but the 4.9 V-8 is quieter. That’s intentional. Exhaust sound effects instill the performance perception Caddy wanted in the 4.6.
Though a bit louder, the Northstar has advantages over the 4.9. It doesn’t require a tune for 100,000 miles, which means most owners will not need to have that service performed before they trade it in on another car. Also, even without coolant, the Northstar can limp home for 50 miles at 50 m.p.h.
The engine also has starter interlock. If the motorist forgets the engine is idling and turn the key a second time, the starter disengages to prevent the embarrassing and potentially damaging metal on metal contact.
We tried turning the key several times on the Concours while idling. It works.
The 4.6 is teamed with a new electronically controlled 4-speed automatic designed to deliver smooth, quiet operation while reducing those annoying upshifting or downshifting hesitations.
DeVille and Concours also differ in that DeVille has speed-sensitive suspension as standard, Concours road-sensing suspension as standard. With speed-sensitive suspension, the shocks adjust from soft to firm based on vehicle speed-soft up to 45 m.p.h., medium up to 65 m.p.h., firm more than 65 m.p.h.
While our speeds varied as we drove around the countryside, we felt as if the suspension was rather soft in each mode. It meant comfortable long-distance driving if you opted to engage cruise control and sit back and watch the trees, but it also meant the feeling of floating on the pavement and putting up with body lean in sharp turns.
In contrast, Concours’ road-sensing suspension optimizes ride control and handling. Computer sensors adjust shock damping rates, from soft to firm, at each or all corners of the vehicle in 15 milliseconds based on road conditions to minimize body and wheel motion. Hit a bump-soft. Take a sharp turn at speed-firm. We did both, and it performed.
The Concours is like the Seville STS. You can drive more aggressively than in the base DeVille. The suspension makes the car sit flatter in corners and turns. Body lean, sway or pitch is almost imperceptible. Steering is more responsive and the car more agile than the base DeVille, which comes with 15-inch Michelin tires to cruise versus 16-inch Goodyears on the Concours to carouse.
The DeVille we drove didn’t have traction control, an estimated $330 option. Concours offers it as standard. With traction control, computer sensors tell the wheels not to slip on gravel, oil or ice.
There are several noteworthy features in both, such as an umbrella holder pocket in the driver’s seat; dual center-console cupholders; illuminated window/lock controls in the armrests at night and a switch to illuminate only the digital speedometer at night; constant outside temperature readings; and a defog setting for the fan that directs air to the windshield for clearing and the occupants for heating comfort.
Also, remote fuel-filler door and deck lid opener buttons are conveniently on the dash; retained accessory power operates windows/radio for 10 minutes after the ignition is turned off; two-sided galvanized metal is used in all body panels; rear windows lower all the way; rear doors swing open extra wide; the theft-deterrent ignition key comes with a built-in transistor so it works only in your car; to protect cassettes from jamming, they are ejected whenever the ignition is turned off.
The DeVille and Concours are a noticeable improvement from the cars they succeed, but they aren’t without fault.
Both have unique sun visors. When you swing the full-size visor out, you have access to a second visor in the roof headliner that lowers like a window shade. How long will the pull-out visor last before breaking or snagging, requiring the headliner to be removed to fix it? It didn’t pull out smoothly when we tried.
There’s another feature we have mixed emotions about. Thick black rubber seals surround each door to insulate passengers from noise. Those seals also make all door openings look narrow and tight because the black hides alignment imperfections. But we wonder how good a black rubber seal is going to look after a couple of years of weathering.
DeVille/Concours haven’t been priced. It’s feared the Concours will be priced close to the Lexus LS400 and tickle $50,000. Cadillac says the price may be a welcome surprise. We’ll know by Oct. 7.
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Jim Mateja appears in Transportation Sunday, Business Monday, and Your Money Friday.
