2016 Buick Cascada: For The Wind-In-Your-Hair Crowd
A quarter century has gone by since the Buick line-up included a convertible. To fill the gap, America’s Grand Old Brand thumbed through GM Europe’s catalogue and came up with a ready-made compact drop-top.
A wave of the corporate wand, and lo! The new 2016 Buick Cascada, a rather fetching front-wheel-drive four-seater – actually, a 2+2 – to which Buick’s stylists seem to have done practically nothing in the way of changing its shape. In particular, the grille is much more Opel than Buick, whereas the grille has always been one of the more distinctive elements of Buick's styling. Or anybody else’s styling, for that matter.
Be that as it may, the European versions produced by Opel and Vauxhall have been on sale for nearly two years, and have been doing quite well. The Buick Cascada keeps the same 1.6-litre four with direct injection and variable valve lift that produces 168 hp at 4,250 rpm and 206 lb-ft of torque at 1,650 rpm, with a peak of 221 lb-ft available. The only transmission is a 6 speed automatic.
The structure and most of the other mechanical elements of its European cousins have been retained, but Buick's engineers have equipped their version with GM’s HiPer Strut front suspension, which combats torque steer while improving roadholding and ride quality. They have also added a Watts linkage to stabilize and calm the reactions of the twist-beam rear axle.
The Cascada’s soft top reportedly folds in 17 seconds at speeds up to 50 kph. When folded, it is concealed by a rigid cover. Trunk volume with the top down shrinks from 380 to 280 litres, but the rear seatbacks can be folded electrically to increase cargo space. Similarly, the front seats slide forward and fold to improve access to the rear seats.
The Cascada naturally comes with every possible and useful connection for the electronic devices and gizmos we find almost indispensable these days – particularly in a small car whose primary goal is to maximize enjoyment. Take note hedonists, narcissists and other pleasure-seekers.
For Buick’s sake, let’s hope that the only thing the new Cascada and the Reatta, of fleeting and distant memory, have in common is the fact that their names rhyme. The Cascada surely deserves a better fate. It will presumably be very popular in Florida and California.
Finally, one small but very important detail: Buick currently has no plans to market the Cascada in Canada. We’ll see.