1998-2004 Cadillac Seville: Overview

Vehicle Highlights

Cadillac's sport-luxury sedan got a serious revamping for 1998, again equipped with front-wheel drive and a Northstar V8 engine. Striving to recapture the "Standard of the World" title that once applied to the marque, Cadillac sought to step beyond the quality and value of such brands as Lexus and Mercedes-Benz. Some of Seville's underbody structure was shared with the Buick Riviera and Park Avenue, and the Oldsmobile Aurora. Styling was evolutionary rather than a dramatic turnaround, but overall body length shrunk by 3.1 inches, while wheelbase stretched by 1.2 inches. All Sevilles were built in Michigan, but about 20 percent were earmarked for overseas markets. Standard features that were carried over from the previous generation included StabiliTrak, which improved control in evasive maneuvers by selectively applying the front brakes. An electronic suspension, also continued from before, could read the road surface and continually adjust itself to soften the ride and control body motion. The Northstar V8 engine was rated at 275 horsepower when beneath a base SLS hood, versus 300 horsepower in the sportier STS model. Front-seat-mounted side airbags went into a redesigned interior. New safety belts attached to the seat frame and included the first belt pretension system in a U.S.-built automobile. STS sedans could be equipped with a new Adaptive Seat System, in which 10 air cells in the front seats adjusted automatically to accommodate to various people's bodies.Radio data system (RDS) capability was standard on the STS and optional on SLS. RDS displayed song title and other broadcast information, and could interrupt programming with emergency messages. GM's OnStar satellite emergency/communications system also was available, as a dealer-installed option. Seville's rivals included the BMW 5-Series, Infiniti Q45, Lexus LS 400, and Mercedes-Benz E-Class.