What Is the Difference Between a Cadillac Seville & DeVille?

The Cadillac model lineup has included a variety of different cars for different needs, but one thing all of them have in common: American luxury. The Seville and Deville have been some of the brand's long-term standard bearers.

Cadillac's most popular model for many years, the Deville is the standard luxury sedan with the brand's most mainstream features. Used in rental car and livery fleets, the Deville ferries executives all over the world. Even presidents use Cadillac Devilles, which are outfitted with special features by independent manufacturers for use as First Cars.

Considered Cadillac's showpiece car, the Seville, oftentimes includes Cadillac's newest technology and most powerful engines. Always a four-door sedan, as opposed to its sibling, the two-door Eldorado. In the mid-1980s, the Seville underwent a significant downsizing to cope with the demand for more fuel-efficient cars.

As the Cadillac brand reinvented itself with angular shapes, modern technology and a hip, new advertising campaign, it shed the full names of its model line-up, opting instead for acronyms. The first was the CTS, which replaced the ill-fated Catera. The DTS and STS soon followed, standing for Deville Touring Sedan and Seville Touring Sedan.

With Ford's Lincoln division openly talking about nixing its executive-hauling Town Car, Cadillac has doubled down on its executive sedan, the Deville, now known as the DTS. It recently updated the body of the flagship, front-wheel drive sedan, adding the angular touches and European finishes the brand's other models have become known for. The Seville, now known as the STS, is now a rear-wheel drive car, and is offered in Cadillac's vaunted "V-series" line-up, with extremely powerful engines, wider-set tires and a suspension and engine tuned for hot-rodding.