2015 NAIAS: 2016 Buick Cascada
Were you disappointed upon hearing the news that Chrysler has axed the 200 convertible? Did you grieve over the G6 retractable hard top when GM pulled Pontiac off of life support? Do you spend nights pondering what drove Toyota to wipe the Solara from their product plans? Well, then we have great news for you. Buick is filling the void in the front wheel drive four seat convertible market by shipping an Opel ever so slightly modified for the US market. Buick is calling this car Cascada, which apparently is Spanish for “waterfall.” It doesn’t take a sharp eye to see that Buick’s Cascada doesn’t even feature the traditional Buick waterfall grille or signature ventiports. The 2016 Cascada uses a cloth top rather than a bulky retractable hard top. The narrow rear seat necessitated by the folding top means this Buick features 2+2 seating. If you must know what powers this convertible, it probably means you should be looking at a Mustang or Camaro. For those who must know, Buick only reveals that the Cascada is propelled by a 1.6-liter 200 horsepower turbocharged engine, which one would assume is a four cylinder. No word on acceleration, but apparently the Cascada can shield its occupants from the weather in 17 seconds flat with an electro-hydraulic power roof. Pricing hasn’t yet been disclosed, but we can expect Cascadas to begin flowing into Buick dealers this spring.
