Filed under: Convertible, Europe, Buick, Opel



As we reported earlier, there has been much speculation regarding a Buick convertible of sorts. The most ringing endorsement of this conjecture comes today from General Motors Europe, as the new Opel Cascada has debuted on the interwebs. Opel calls the four-passenger Cascada an "athletic, glamorous midsize convertible." With a length of 4,697mm (185 in.), the Cascada is as long as an Audi A5, to which GM has said it would be slightly larger.

The Cascada, which is Spanish for waterfall, features a cloth convertible top that retracts in 17 seconds and at speeds up to 50 km/h (31 mph). The Cascada features a 1.4-liter turbo gas engine, 2.0-liter turbodiesel with 165 horsepower and a range-topping 1.6-liter turbocharged Ecotec engine that puts out 170 horsepower and 280 Nm (207 lb-ft). Power is sent through either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission.

According to GM, the Cascada will also come rife with luxury and tech features. In addition to adaptive forward lighting and ergonomic heated front seats, the convertible will feature Opel Eye, which is a front camera that can recognize traffic signs and incorporates lane departure warning and forward collision alert.

Given GM's propensity for re-badging Opels as Buicks, it's not far out of the realm of possibility that we could see this vehicle Stateside wearing a Buick badge. Though the Cascada's design takes some cues from the Insignia sedan, which we know in the US as the Regal, the platform on which it rides is shared by the Verano, so what it would be called in North America is anyone's guess. How about Velite?Continue reading Opel Cascada is Europe's Buick convertible [w/video]

Opel Cascada is Europe's Buick convertible [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 17 Oct 2012 18:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.



Permalink | Email this | Comments

More...