Unless, like me, you’re an unreconstructed car nerd, the ‘Epsilon platform’ probably won’t mean much. It means a lot to the senior suits in General Motors though because this is the vehicle chassis that the Vauxhall Signum, the Saab 9-3 and now this model, the Cadillac BLS all rest upon. This is the point where world-weary cynics will accuse General Motors of dressing up a Vauxhall in Cadillac clothes in order to realise a stonking profit, but the reality is quite different.

The engineering underneath the car is tried and tested GM fare. That means that you’ll get a front wheel drive chassis with a choice of either a 175bhp 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo model or a 2.8-litre V6 turbo that punches out a hefty 255bhp. There’s even a 1.9-litre direct injection turbodiesel engine that’s good for 150bhp, a first for Cadillac. It’ll notch off the sprint to 60mph in just 9.3 seconds but the in-gear acceleration times that really indicate a diesel engine’s torque response have been slashed dramatically.

The 1.9-litre TiD’s powertrain includes the most advanced diesel particulate filter on the market, enabling Euro IV emissions compliance. Unlike other particulate traps, it is maintenance-free and self-cleaning, requiring no additives or periodic replacement. In order to clean the filter and to keep the exhaust flow as free as possible, these deposits are periodically burnt off by short pulses of over-fuelling. These briefly raise exhaust temperatures to the required level of 600º C. The process is automatically initiated when back pressure in the exhaust system reaches a certain level and is completely undetectable by the driver. The self-cleaning process takes place whenever necessary, irrespective of throttle load or engine temperature.

Pricing looks sharp with the entry-level 2.0-litre just slipping below the £21,000 barrier at £20,728, while the 1.9-litre turbodiesel opens at £21,473.
Opt for the range-topping 2.8 V6 model and you’ll need to find £30,998.