2008 Cadillac BLS Wagon: In Depth

Press Release

Luxury Interior and Infotainment Features

• High-quality Bose Centerpoint® system
• High-end navigation system with 6.5-inch touch-screen operation
• Advanced driver assistance systems

The BLS Wagon features a full entertainment package, which includes high-quality sound systems, a navigation system with touch-screen operation and a universal hands-free phone kit.

The audio systems: superb sound quality

The BLS Wagon comes standard with a powerful high-fidelity sound system that includes a radio, CD player and seven speakers. An optional audio system from Bose includes Centerpoint® signal processing circuitry, simulated surround sound, which allows listeners to enjoy a surround-sound experience from their existing CD collections and MP3 CDs. The Bose Centerpoint system includes eleven speakers, including rear-door speakers with Neodymium technology.

The optional system includes:

• Bass management: using a proprietary algorithm, engineered specifically for the acoustics of the BLS Wagon’s cabin.
• Digital signal processing: custom-designed for the BLS sedan and BLS Wagon, this digital signal processing circuitry delivers a natural tonal timbre. Music sounds full and detailed, speech sounds natural, and the system can approach live performance levels without distortion.
• Neodymium speaker technology: neodymium iron boron magnets significantly reduce the system’s weight without sacrificing acoustic performance.

Both sound systems can also play MP3 music files and can be operated conveniently and safely via buttons on the steering wheel. These buttons can also control the on-board computer.

The navigation system: easy and convenient to use

The navigation system has a 6.5-inch color LED screen and uses DVDs as the software storage medium. The system supports Traffic Message Channel (TMC). Operating the optional navigation system is easy and can be controlled via speech recognition or touch-screen technology.

The universal hands-free kit: a convenient solution for most mobile phones

The BLS Wagon also offers an optional hands-free mobile phone kit, for use with a universal hands-free phone. The system features a universal console that accepts multiple brands of phones via an adaptor. Adapter connection units are currently available for compatible Nokia, Motorola, Siemens and Sony Ericsson phones.

When owners buy a new phone that’s a different brand from their original phone, they only need to replace the adaptor; there’s no need to buy a new hands-free kit. Owners of Bluetooth-enabled phones also can use this wireless technology, as the BLS Wagon is prepared for Bluetooth connectivity.

Innovative automatic air conditioning: detects weather changes in advance

The BLS sedan and Wagon feature standard two-zone automatic air conditioning on the upper-trim levels. The benefit of this electronically controlled system is that the driver only needs to set the desired temperature; the system then automatically controls air cooling or heating, distribution and fan speed. It also allows different settings for the driver and passenger side. The system measures interior temperature in real time using a patented mathematical energy balance model, so it automatically adjusts the cooling before the climate in the automobile actually changes.

Useful assistance systems

• Parking assist: ultrasonic sensors transmit sound waves, calculate the distance between the vehicle and an obstruction and emit audible warning signals if the object is too close.
• Rain sensor: the windscreen wipers activate automatically in rain. Light-emitting diodes inside the rain sensor transmit invisible infrared rays that are reflected by the front windscreen. Photo diodes detect precipitation when the rain drops break the infrared beams.
• Electrochromatic rear-view mirror: to prevent drivers from being blinded at night by the headlights of the vehicle behind, the rearview mirror darkens automatically when necessary. Two sensors measure the difference between the ambient light and the light falling directly onto the mirror. If the light coming from behind is stronger than the ambient light, the mirror darkens.

Electronics platform: foundation for the entertainment systems

Three data bus systems form a Controller Area Network (CAN) interact to exchange information between various sensors, control devices and actuators in fractions of a second. This electronics platform is the basis for the high-end infotainment features on the BLS wagon. CAN BUS is fast, has high capacity and is flexible enough to accommodate additional features in future model years. It also saves weight compared to traditional copper cables.

The slowest bus, which has a transfer speed of 33.3 kbit/s (kilobits per second), controls the exchange of information between the comfort-enhancing components such as the electric window regulators. The second-fastest data bus (500 kbit/s) is responsible for engine management. And on the third data highway for the infotainment systems, signal transmission occurs at the speed of light, using glass-fiber cables instead of conventional metal wires. Data transfer is performed with the aid of light impulses and, at 25 Mbit/s, is around 50 times faster than a conventional twin bus.