This is a Cadillac SLS, seen in Beijing in 2019. The big Cadillac looked great, painted in black, as always, and fitted with the factory-original nine-spoke alloy wheels. The SLS was a China-only long-wheelbase luxury sedan.
The Cadillac SLS (Seville Luxury Sedan) was a long-wheelbase variant of the Cadillac STS (Seville Touring Sedan). The Chinese name for ‘SLS’ was 赛威 (Sàiwēi). The SLS was manufactured in China by the Shanghai-GM joint venture. Production started in 2007 and ended in 2013, with a facelift in 2010. The car we have here is a pre-facelift example.
The wheelbase of the SLS was extended by 10 centimeters. The extension is best seen by looking at the longer roofline and the longer rear door. Size comparison:
STS: 4996, 1844, 1463, 2957.
SLS: 5110, 1844, 1465, 3057.
The interior was superbly luxurious, especially in the pre-facelift version. The model names in China were Elite, Luxury, and Flagship. The Flagship was the top-spec variant, loaded with beige leather and with dark real-wood trim. It was equipped with an audio-video system with 15 speakers. The video player could handle DVD and MP4.
The passengers in the back had endless legroom. Cadillac had improved the noise reduction for a quieter ride. The flagship version had two individual seats with a wide armrest in between. It also had a raised center tunnel with extra storage space.
In the armrest was a control panel for the rear entertainment system and the air conditioning. Each passenger had an 8-inch screen to watch a movie while underway. The DVD tray was in the dashboard center console. The Bose 5.1 Personal Surround audio system included speakers atop the front seats, on each side of the headrests.
The SLS had some sporty design details, like the spoiler on the boot lid and the exhaust pipes. The pre-facelift Cadillac SLS was available with three engines: a 2.8-liter V6, a 3.6-liter V6, and the 4.6-liter Northstar V8. The V6 engines were made locally at Shanghai-GM, but the V8 engine was imported from the United States.
This one is the top-spec SLS Flagship with the V8 under the hood. The output was rated at 320 hp and 418 Nm, which made the SLS one of the most powerful China-made cars of that time. The gearbox was a six-speed automatic. The output of the engine was 320 hp and 427 Nm, good for a 250 km/h top speed and a 0-100 acceleration of 5.1 seconds.
The characters say: 上汽通用, Shàngqì Tōngyòng, Shanghai-GM.
The V8 model is relatively rare because it was much more expensive than the V6 models. This was caused by the extra costs of the imported V8 engine, which was subject to import taxes. In 2007, the 2.8 V6 model sold for 498.000 yuan, the 3.6 V6 for 638.000 yuan, and the 4.6 V8 for 828.000 yuan. That’s a whole lot extra for two more cylinders, but nothing beats a V8!
The Cadillac SLS was a great American luxury sedan in China. A typical Cadillac, in a way, kind of old school, in stretched limousine style. They don’t make them like this anymore, not even for China.