Even a Cadillac executive concedes that you will either love or hate the company's new BLS - the car by which General Motors' Cadillac division is setting significant store, for the European market. In fact, so determined is Cadillac to make its name on this side of the Atlantic it has built the car in Europe for a European customer base, and the BLS will never get to see a six-lane highway.
The Cadillac name has an iconic status in American motoring history and indeed in the very culture of America itself. But the BLS is no American icon. It is, in fact, a hybrid with common components of at least two models from General Motors stable. It shares the same chassis with the Saab 9-3 and the Opel Vectra and the sharp-eyed will spot straight away the shared use of parts like air vents and switchgear.
Cadillac has designed the BLS as a direct competitor for cars like the Audi A4, the BMW 3 Series and the Lexus IS 200. It certainly looks nothing like any of them and it doesn't drive like them either.
While lighter in weight than one might have expected from its boxy exterior profile, the BLS is not quite as surefooted in its handling as its European targets either. Cadillac has always been the prestige name in the modern General Motors armoury. The company is hoping that cachet transfers to Europe and the car might become an object of desire for being different to the familiar European brands. The logic is that "luxury customers" looking for something different will be drawn to a well-known name offering an alternative profile to that of Mercedes, BMW and Lexus.
It is smaller than any Cadillac that has gone before, but it is not a small car. It has plenty of room inside for five, has a boot that shames the competition, but the finish is too dull.
There is a number of versions of the car but they can be grouped into 2.0 litre petrol, 2.8 litre petrol and 1.9 litre diesel engine categories, and are available with manual or automatic transmissions. Prices start at €39,990 for the 2.9 litre petrol manual with a 175bhp output; €51,490 for the 2.8 V6 with 255bhp and €40,490 for the 1.9 diesel. All engines have turbos, and the diesel seems to be the best option because of reduced consumption and tax considerations.
Standard equipment from the base model up includes air conditioning, 16" alloys, cruise control, electric windows and mirrors and steering wheel controls. The BLS may be a European version of an American car yet it is almost impossible to escape its origins. Just quite how it squares up to the established names at this end of the market remains to be seen.