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From the Archive: 1998 Cadillac Seville Touring Sedan Aims Overseas
From the December 1997 issue of Car and Driver.
Until now, Cadillacs and serious imported sedans had about as much in common as Snoop Doggy Dogg and the Vienna String Quartet. As in mutually exclusive. As in fat-daddy Caddys and hypersonic Bimmers, Mercs, and the zoomy new Lexus GS400s. Never the twain shall meet. Unless, of course, you bolt yourself inside a 1998 Cadillac STS and aim it toward Stuttgart on the E4 Autobahn.
For the first time, and following much tiresome posturing, General Motors has created a serious, internationally adept luxury car. This time, Cadillac isn't kidding. What it recently offered up at the Frankfurt and Tokyo auto shows is a machine that is intended to invade the turf of elite four-doors everywhere, ultimately raising export sales in 40 countries to about 20 percent of production (up from five percent today). Moreover, Cadillac will build right-hand-drive models for Japan and other Far East markets. Most of these export models will be "five-meter" shorty versions (196.5 inches long) sans 5-mph bumpers, much as Chrysler is doing with its new Eagle Vision. (The domestic Seville is a still-compact 201.0 inches overall.) All of this comes on yet another iteration of the notably rigid General Motors G-platform that forms the basis for the Olds Aurora and the Buick Riviera—and is widely acclaimed as the stiffest, best-designed GM structure in history.
In the engine bay of the STS is the world-class 300-horsepower, 4.6-liter DOHC Northstar V-8 (the kinder, gentler SLS offers a 275-hp version) that generates lusty performance throughout the range (0 to 60 mph in 6.7 seconds, the quarter-mile in 15.2 seconds at 93 mph, and a top speed governed at 130 mph, or an estimated 150 mph if you opt for Z-rated tires).
But it is a plethora of microprocessors that help propel the STS to new levels. In addition to standard goodies like anti-lock brakes, the Seville offers such esoterica as "performance algorithm shifting," a superb stability-enhancement system (StabiliTrak), Magnasteer variable-assist power steering, and a road-sensing electronic suspension. The shift algorithm was developed by a young engineer from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute named Ed Lansinger. It couples GM's silky 4T80-E four-speed automatic with sophisticated accelerometers that analyze braking and cornering force and then automatically select the proper gear for max acceleration out of a corner. It is an interesting and unobtrusive system that the average Caddy driver may never be aware of, which is probably the way it ought to be. Also offered as an option is something called adaptive seating: 10 air cells in the seat cushions and back that adjust themselves automatically every four minutes to maximize comfort for the gluteus maximus and other body parts.
The STS exudes considerable attention to detail, as opposed to the slavish application of effluvia that has cursed many previous Cadillacs. From the capacious glove box to the umbrella storage compartment under the front passenger's seat to the neatly designed shoulder harnesses mounted on the front seatbacks to the front-door side airbags, the STS is the result of intense product planning. To amplify the point, the Japanese versions, with right-hand drive, will offer on-board navigation systems, the current rage in Tokyo, and cloth seats, which are favored over leather in that market. The rear-seat bench has been raised slightly, as has the roof (by 1.7 inches), to offer comfort for two passengers and an occasional third. Like most contemporary sedans in this class, the STS is a four-passenger car, regardless of what the salesperson tells you.
HIGHS: Solid autobahn-level performance, a well-executed interior package.
The STS interior, complete with the traditional dollops of zebrano wood, is commodious in an understated fashion. Highlights include the ear-popping 425-watt, eight-speaker Bose sound system and the Lexus-inspired, backlit, analog-gauge instrument panel. A "lowlight" is a 12-volt outlet that is hidden in the transmission tunnel, apparently in a politically correct attempt to discourage smokers while angering radar-detector loyalists.
Outside, the STS is so derivative of the old version (despite its 1.2-inch-longer wheelbase and nearly two-inch-wider track) that only hard-core Caddy loyalists and committed car geeks will be able to identify the new model. As with the new Corvette, GM opted for a sacrifice bunt rather than a home run when restyling the Seville, which, as Yul Brynner said in The King and I, is a "puzzlement."
But make no mistake—the STS ought to acquit itself nicely in the great Autobahn Grand Prix. Although feeling bulkier than the current king of the European four-lanes, the BMW 5-series, the Cadillac's flat, neutral cornering, excellent drivetrain, and superb midrange performance (50 to 70 mph in 4.1 seconds), plus its reasonable braking (70 to 0 mph in 188 feet), ought to make it a serious player in this very fast league.
LOWS: Some Woolworth items polluting the Tiffany inventory, ever-so-vague steering.
Areas of concern center on the steering, which not only lacks the razor-edged sharpness of the best in the class, but also builds too much artificial heft as speed rises. We must also wait to comment on the vitally important category of overall build quality, because our test car was a preproduction model with some ill-fitting interior bits.
In the domestic market, it is critical that Cadillac reach a younger audience. For example, half of Catera owners are 65 years or older, and the division is having trouble attracting young professionals throughout its product line. With a base STS selling in the $48,000-to-$50,000 range (our test vehicle, minus sunroof, six-disc CD changer, and the OnStar navigation system, was priced at about $51,000), it's smack in the middle of the market segment without a significant price advantage. The same will be true in Europe, where the Seville will wear a similar price tag before taxes.
VERDICT: Finally, Cadillac has built a sedan that is a legitimate world-class player.
Therefore, the new STS is suited up to play, but it's up to the managers and coaches at Cadillac to make it perform at the all-star level.
Counterpoints
Cadillac's worldwide sales plans for the Seville are ambitious, if not a bit quixotic. I applaud them anyway. It's been decades since GM's most prestigious division commanded respect overseas, and you can't call yourself the standard of the world if you only sell in one part of that world. How will the STS do? The automotive swells in Europe and Japan will likely cast a dour eye at the Seville's odd steering feel, but I bet they'll be smitten by this car's handsome interior, its superb body control, and its swaggering Northstar V-8 drivetrain. The Bose 4.0 sound system is a killer, too. Bon chance, Cadillac. —Don Schroeder
In 1908, Britain's Royal Automobile Club presented the Dewar Trophy, for the year's greatest automotive advance, to Cadillac for manufacturing cars with such precision that their parts were freely interchangeable. Four years later, Cadillac won another Dewar Trophy for creating the first electric starter. Unfortunately, by the Seventies, Cadillac had retreated from such international glory in favor of safe but unadventurous domestic profits. This new Seville, however, signals a return to the international arena with its more compact size, enhanced refinement, right-hand-drive versions, and realistic pricing in overseas markets. It's about time. —Csaba Csere
I love German cars, but I'm a sucker for a high-horsepower, low-end-torque American V-8, like the third-generation Northstar unit in this "completely rethought for 1998" Seville. On my first drive, I gazed admiringly around the cockpit. Loved the feel of the wood-and-leather steering wheel in my hands and the sweep of the wood traversing the dash and curving into the door panels. Loved the gauges: white calibrations on black backgrounds with bright-red needles, with a 3-D effect! Loved the power. Felt proud of Cadillac for producing such a fine machine. So this STS has found a place on my list of desirable luxury cars. —Patti Maki
Specifications
Specifications
1998 Cadillac Seville Touring Sedan
Vehicle Type: front-engine, front-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan
PRICE (EST)
Base/As Tested: $48,500/$51,000
ENGINE
DOHC 32-valve V-8, aluminum block and heads, port fuel injection
Displacement: 279 in3, 4565 cm3
Power: 300 hp @ 6000 rpm
Torque: 295 lb-ft @ 4400 rpm
TRANSMISSION
4-speed automatic
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: struts/multilink
Brakes, F/R: 11.9-in vented disc/11.6-in disc
Tires: Goodyear Eagle LS
235/60HR-16
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 112.2 in
Length: 201.0 in
Width: 75.0 in
Height: 55.4 in
Passenger Volume, F/R: 55/49 ft3
Trunk Volume: 16 ft3
Curb Weight: 4040 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 6.7 sec
1/4-Mile: 15.2 sec @ 93 mph
100 mph: 17.6 sec
120 mph: 27.0 sec
Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 6.8 sec
Top Gear, 30–50 mph: 4.0 sec
Top Gear, 50–70 mph: 4.1 sec
Top Speed (gov ltd): 130 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 188 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.82 g
Interior Sound
Idle: 42 dBA
Full Throttle: 76 dBA
70-mph Cruising: 67 dBA
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 18 mpg
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
City/Highway: 17/26 mpg
C/D TESTING EXPLAINED