2016 Buick Cascada Convertible Revealed, Is Entirely Way Cooler than the Reatta

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GM’;s German arm gives Buick its initial droptop given that the Reatta.

Buick is letting its prime down for the 1st time considering that the 1st Bush administration. The 2016 Cascada convertible, which is currently sold in Europe as an Opel of the very same name, will reach Buick showrooms early next year. As opposed to the now largely forgotten Buick Reatta convertible, the Cascada is a 4-seater and is primarily based on the compact Opel Astra platform.

Though the package is lifted virtually totally intact from the German entry, the Cascada’s engine output has been elevated slightly for U.S. duty. In the Buick, the 1.6-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder is rated at 200 horsepower (up from 197) with 206 lb-ft of torque, or 221 lb-ft on overboost. For now, the 1.6-liter engine is exclusive to the Cascada in the Buick lineup. The Cascada’s platform-mate, the Verano sedan, utilizes a naturally aspirated 2.4-liter (180 hp) and a 2.-liter 250-hp unit in the Verano Turbo. Whereas the Verano Turbo gives a stick, the front-wheel-drive Cascada comes only with a 6-speed automatic. GM’s HiPer Strut front suspension aids combat torque steer, however, and the Cascada rolls on 20-inch wheels.

Although the Cascada and the Verano are siblings beneath the skin, the 2 don’t share any body panels. The convertible rides on a fractionally longer wheelbase (106.1 inches) and is 1 inch longer and an inch wider overall. The Cascada’s length puts it midway amongst the (now-defunct) Chrysler 200 convertible and the (all-but-defunct) Volkswagen Eos. Its wheelbase, nevertheless, is closer to the Chrysler’s, which signifies the rear seats should be adequate for adults. They’re produced accessible by front seats that automatically scoot forward. Alternately, the rear seatbacks can be folded down to expand trunk space, which otherwise stands at 13.4 cubic feet with the best up and 9.8 cubes with the prime lowered.

That leading is a standard fabric roof—our preference more than a retractable hardtop, which nearly often outcomes in awkward proportions and hogs trunk space. Plus, fabric tops appear nicer. And as opposed to most retractable hardtops, the Cascada’s energy best can be lowered (in 17 seconds) whilst the automobile is on the move, at speeds up to 31 mph. Heated seats—and a heated steering wheel—allow the hardy to stretch the best-down motoring season.

We drove an Opel Cascada in late 2013, with a lesser (168-hp) version of the 1.6-liter turbo, and while it was pleasant, its performance was languid. With 200 horses beneath the hood, the Buick should enhance on that experience. We’ll see whether or not that’s enough to earn the Cascada a longer remain than the final Buick convertible, which stuck about for only 4 years.

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2016 Buick Cascada Convertible Revealed, Is Entirely Way Cooler than the Reatta