Cadillac Seville 1992: “Freudian slip”

At first there was undisputed leadership and exorbitant pride in their brand. “Caddy” – he’s in everything... he’s always... everywhere. There was something to be proud of, we won’t discuss it. But he turned up his nose. From under half-lowered eyelids he looked from the top of the premium class as the world swarmed below and grabbed his cars. Well, or really dreams. And I didn’t notice how the consumer turned sharply on his heels towards European and Japanese cars.


In the 90s, Detroiters shuddered and came to their senses. And, although the Seville has been in production since 1976, in the fourth generation the trumpet was trumpeted: the sedan, they say, “can change your opinion about the American car.” Why change the idea if it were pleasant? According to Freud's slip...

Model overview: exterior

He is a well-groomed aristocrat. And he was like that from birth. Not a dandy for a slacker student with a rich father. And a discreetly elegant dandy for dad - an accomplished, respectable gentleman. This is how you will look if you decide to buy a Cadillac Seville.


Take the handsome one. The manufacturer aimed the product at the New World, dreaming of knocking down the arrogance of the German automobile industry. Therefore, in the general traffic, a sedan car with a “European” appearance is not very striking.

But both obvious and subtle signs unmistakably point to American roots. Moreover, the face and “family” features of “Caddy” and “GM” themselves are evident.

Belonging to the elite class and commitment to the traditions of the brand is already visible in the weight and size indicators:

✅ Length - 5192 mm
✅ Width - 1887 mm
✅ Height - 1885 mm
✅ Curb weight - 1820 kg
✅ Trunk volume - 409 l
✅ Fuel tank capacity - 76 l

You can't blame it for the lack of proportions. The body lines are clean and smooth. Body panels are not bent, without stamping. Only the wheel arches are textured. The only decoration is plastic moldings. The elements stretch along the bottom of the doors and form a straight line with the bumpers.

We continue the external inspection

The beauty of the car, which should change the opinion of the transatlantic auto industry, nominated the Cadillac Seville for the title of “Car of the Year 1992”. The model was included in the top ten best American passenger vehicles.


Already in the year of production, the manufacturer divided the model range into two versions: SLS (Seville Luxury Sedan) and STS (Seville Touring Sedan). The second one is fatter. It is distinguished by a sports body kit, fog lights and a radiator grille painted in body color. The SLS submodel has a chrome grille and a Cadillac badge on the hood. The package is poorer.

The front end is not pompous, without decorative details. On the sides there are small square headlights in a row: 4 in a block. The outer ones turn on at night simultaneously with turning the steering wheel, illuminating the road. An ingenious solution for an adaptive lighting system.

Salon

Here luxury is not surprising - it is expected. Incredibly comfortable seats with adjustable lumbar support and 2-position memory (driver-only function). Leather upholstery (perforated in STS models), polished veneer inserts. However, one can immediately make a complaint: what, one wonders, was the 2819 mm wheelbase allocated to, if tall people have nowhere to put their knees behind?


On a pleasant note: car seats are heated even on the back seat. Passengers in the gallery are provided with a separate “climate control”: they can regulate the intensity of the airflow and the direction of the air.

Boxes, cup holders – is it worth talking about them? It’s better to remember about heating (not blowing!) the windshield and the wiper area. Three washer nozzles are hidden when not needed.

The dashboard for 1992 is the height of technology. In addition to the necessary information about the operation of the units, diagnostic data for maintenance and repair of the sedan is displayed. Errors are displayed under the speedometer and tachometer without a scanner. However, for the latter there is an obd1 GM connector.


The SLS trim comes with a Delco Electronics audio system. In the rich STS - BOSE. Both systems include a radio and tape recorder. You can also connect a 12-disc CD player to them.

Motors, chassis

Those sitting behind the wheel of the 4 Cadillac Seville 1992-door sedan were delighted with the taxiing. The car is not intended for extreme driving and drifting. A respectable 5-meter car does not suit childishness. Calmly, smoothly and confidently, “Seville” walks along a good surface in a straight line. The comfort of traveling at speed only increases.


The rear self-leveling suspension is to blame. The suspension mechanism maintains the vehicle's height above the road regardless of the load. The internal combustion engine is located transversely at the front, torque is supplied to the front axle.

The SLS package included an HT-4900 V8 engine with the following characteristics:

✅ Volume - 4,9 l
✅ Output power – 270 l. With.
✅ Moment of force - 332 N * m

The engine size is the same on the Seville Touring Sedan (STS). But the unit generated 295 hp. With. A 4-band automatic transmission worked in tandem with the power plants. Maximum speed – 240 km/h, acceleration dynamics – 7,7 seconds to “hundreds”. The passport average fuel consumption is 12,3 l/100 km. In fact, according to the owners, all 20 liters fly away. And when were Cadillacs not gluttonous?

Bodywork of an aged car

You won't find anything scary when purchasing: the metal is strong and can withstand blows. The bottom may strike you as being in almost perfect condition. The subframes are like a glove, there is no or minimal rust in the hidden cavities.


The paint holds up great. As always, the plastic covers are a let down: you can expect holes underneath them. Thresholds are definitely rotten if they have not been changed during life. The bottoms of the wings and the edge of the hood are critical. But such work is not scary for our creative bodybuilders. The same thresholds will be made and welded along the factory seam, you won’t notice the difference.

What if you buy it?

We do not undertake to guide readers on the prices of spare parts and consumables. But we believe the respondent who purchased the car for 140 thousand rubles. Without engine capital (I only changed the spark plugs), I spent about 300 thousand rubles to restore the chic and shine. This included a new windshield. Another user confirms: “Bought for $1500, invested $3000.”

The 1992 model will require relatively little money - from 150 thousand rubles. and above: the guy is in his fourth decade. Typically, luxury cars are well looked after, so there are practically no cars that are trashed.

Another thing is that it is not easy to support an “American”. And it's not even about age. Taking into account expenses for transport tax, maintenance, insurance, and other expenses, within a year your wallet will be empty by 52-75 thousand rubles. Let's not forget about fuel. Another difficulty: domestic auto stores and services will only offer small consumables. And the original units must be ordered from their homeland.


“Collective farm” is generally not acceptable in American cars. Until recently, the supply channels for automotive components were well established. Where to get parts now is a problem. However, there is something left in the specialized centers.

By the way, Cadillacs do not like unskilled hands. Seville is no exception. Therefore, it is better not to trust the car to garage “Petrovichs”: there are a lot of specifics. Take dismantling the engine. There were cases when the engine was removed from above. At the same time, wiring was flying, air conditioning pipes were broken, and the power steering was broken.

The power unit must be dismantled from below, along with the subframe and other engine compartment “offal”. Moreover, home-grown mechanics should not be allowed to work on the suspension: the mechanism will respond with sensitivity to every pit-tubercle.

Small rubber parts (gaskets, tubes), lubricants and technical fluids must be checked and replaced immediately. Sometimes the fact that the car is old and rare plays into its favor: spare parts are sold cheaply.

We summarize

The hero of our review is made more technologically and efficiently than previous generations. The manufacturer felt the moment when the user began to prefer foreign cars. It would be hard to catch the alarming trend, because sales of the third incarnation of Seville fell to 22 thousand units per year.


For the giant GM, this is extremely small, even shameful. This means that it was necessary to change the audience’s impression of the American auto industry. The fourth generation Cadillac Seville model managed to complete the task: already in 1992, the concern sold 43 units. sedans. Good, beautiful, reliable cars.