REVIEWS AND ROAD TESTS

We All Make Mistakes

Let ’ s face it, the Seville does not live up to its promise as Cadillac ’ s latest pride and joy. Far too heavy and cumbersome, the Seville must resort to gadgetry to win us over. The fact remains that this front-wheel drive vehicle can not compete in a sector where rear wheel propulsion is the norm. Having realised their mistake, Cadillac is putting the final touches on the next-generation Seville, which doesn ’ t stray nearly as far from the competition.The interior is a sight for sore eyes. Impeccable leather upholstery, complemented by wood and chrome inserts, an attractive and unique combination.

Strangely, the cabin lacks the roominess suggested by the exterior, and with three people in the back seat, there ’ s little room to spare. The trunk, however, is spacious enough to accommodate four golf bags and more.

The Seville ’ s weak point is, without a doubt, the meagre quality of the interior workmanship, which is decidedly sub-par for its class. Poorly fitted or loose upholstery is not uncommon for the Seville, which is simply unacceptable.

Its strong point, however, is the engine at the heart of this deluxe sedan, which deserves the greatest accolades. Launched in 1992, the Northstar engine is now in its third incarnation, and people continue to throw flowers at its feet. And that ’ s no surprise, for this latest version runs much more quietly than ever before. It ’ s linked to an electronic, automatic transmission that operates like a semi-automatic but with a powerful computer changing the gears, there ’ s no need to shift manually. It operates very well, as does the variable suspension, which automatically adjusts the level through dampers at each corner. The new Seville is also equipped with the Stabili-Trak system, which helps prevent the vehicle from skidding out of control.The Seville is a fun car to drive, but purists are right to point out that much of the enjoyment derives from technological toys aboard the vehicle, which may help distract drivers from concerns about the car ’ s reliability and the high cost of replacement parts. The purists also turn their noses up at the fact that the Seville is a front-wheel drive, which means that you can feel the torque during hard accelerations. What ’ s more, its handling is not as smooth as its rear-wheel drive rivals. In fact, the Seville fares poorly in practically all points of comparison (acceleration, speed recovery, braking, roadholding), expect perhaps for fuel consumption. The Seville does score points in northern climes, however, where front traction is an unquestioned plus.

PROS
High-performance engine
Attractive interior
Four-season sport sedan

CONS
Torque steer in hard accelerations
Many technological distractions