Cars - Cadillac Deville

Home > Listing Index > Cars > Cadillac Deville

	Cars - Cadillac Deville

The Deville (also De Ville and de Ville) name has been used on many of Cadillacs luxury car models. After the Fleetwood was dropped from the Cadillac line-up the DeVille became the Cadillac flagship sedan until it was replaced by the DTS for the 2006 model year.

History

The first Cadillac to bear the name was the 1949 Coupe Deville, with a sedan version appearing in 1954. Beginning in 1965, Deville denoted Cadillac's mainstream model, falling between the Calais and the Fleetwood.

In 1977, the first generation of down-sized Cadillacs included mechanically similar Devilles and Fleetwoods, with the latter still occupying the top of the lineup. The models were almost identical from 1977 through 1984.

In 1985, the second generation of down-sized Devilles and Fleetwoods (other than the Brougham) would see a switch to front wheel drive. This drastic downsizing did not prove popular with consumers and soon Lincoln was outselling Cadillac.

From 1986 through 1992, Fleetwood became an option package on the Deville. The Coupe de Ville was dropped in 1994.

The sedan version lasted through one more redesign in 2000 before being replaced by the DTS (stands for DeVille Touring Sedan) for 2006.

1994

For 1994, the Deville was redesigned to share the K-body platform with the Seville. The body was redesigned and the wheelbase grew to 113.8 in rather than the 111 in used on the Seville.

The Deville Concours was available with the new 270 hp (201 kW) LD8 Northstar V8, while lesser models retained the HT-4900 until 1996. That year, the base model took on the lower-output Northstar while the Concours moved up to the high-output L37 Northstar.

The Deville received a minor redeign for the 1997 model year. New headlights and a new grille were added. The interior remained largely unchanged with front side-airbags and Onstar system being the only significant additions.

2000

The 2000 model year saw the first major redisgn since 1997 and the introduction of the last generation of the Deville. The exterior was completely redesigned featuring a sportier and more aerodynamic design. The revamped interior featured completely new door panels and seats, while the dashboard and radioface only received minor facelifts.

2006

For the 2006 model year the Cadillac Deville nameplate, but not the car itself, was replaced by the Cadillac DTS, the latter being, in fact, an abbreviation of "Deville Touring Sedan." This follows the same naming pattern as the CTS ("Catera Touring Sedan"), STS ("Seville Touring Sedan") and ETC ("Eldorado Touring Coupe"), although the ETC doesn't exist.

Technology

Devilles are sometimes converted for limousine use and often features leading-edge automotive technology. For example, it was one of the first cars to feature airbags, night-vision technology, XM Satellite Radio, OnStar roadside assistance, etc.

The Deville's Raytheon night vision system was particularly notable. It was the first thermal imaging night vision system offered as original equipment by an auto manufacturer. It was introduced in the 2000 model and sold well with over 7,000 buyers. Sales fell quickly, however, and only 600 systems were sold for 2004. It was dropped in September of that year with just 145 units installed in 2005 vehicles.

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Cadillac Deville ]

This page is based on the copyrighted Wikipedia article Cadillac Deville; it is used under the GNU Free Documentation License. You may redistribute it, verbatim or modified, providing that you comply with the terms of the GFDL.