Cadillac DeVille

The Cadillac DeVille was produced by the Cadillac division of General Motors from 1958 to 2005.

1995
This pair of sister ships, new to the Cadillac lineup since 1994, were further refined for 1995. Competed against the Lincoln Continental, the Lexus GS 300, Infiniti J30, Mercedes-Benz E-Class and the BMW 5-series luxury sedans, the DeVille and Concours were modern front-wheel-drive designs with ample seating for six adults.

The DeVille was powered by Cadillac's venerable 4.9-liter aluminum pushrod V8, a troublesome engine in its earlier applications but later thoroughly debugged. The 4.9-liter developed 200 horsepower. The Concours was powered by the more contemporary 4.6-liter Northstar V8 engine. With dual overhead cams and multiple-valve technology, this smaller engine developed a good deal more power, 275 horsepower, to be exact.

Minor differences in exterior styling belied the difference in the drivetrains of what were really two well-differentiated vehicles. The DeVille appealed more to the traditional Cadillac buyer interested in a large soft-riding luxury car. The Concours, riding on blackwall tires and with less bright trim on the exterior and interior, was more likely to appeal to a buyer who might otherwise choose a Japanese or European luxury car in the same price class. 

Big news this year was Concours' electronically controlled suspension that used accelerometer and position-sensor information to provide a smoother and more controlled ride. The Northstar engine got five more horsepower thanks to a tuned plastic intake manifold. There was also a switch this year to allow the traction control to be turned off under some road conditions.