2014-opel-cascada-convertible-photos-and-info-news-car-and-driver-photo-504291-s-429x262

Meet the all new Buick Cascada, or should I say, the Opel Cascada. The four seater convertible is here to attract young and old buyers alike to purchase a luxury sports car from Buick and GM. Coming with a 1.6 liter turbocharged four cylinder engine that supplies 200 hp, there is great potential for the Cascada to be a very fun car to drive around in. Heated front seats and heated steering wheel will prolong the driving season for owners who live in the northern part or colder regions of the country, while also giving the sense of class and luxury when on the road. But here’s the question. Am I really buying a Buick?

The answer is no, you’re buying a rebadged Opel Cascada. For those that don’t know, Opel is a German automaker that’s a subsidiary of GM. They produce cars for Vauxhall in the United Kingdom, and once made cars for Saturn in the United States. The most popular model thanks to the UK’s Top Gear, is the Vauxhall Astra, which is still in production today. So at the end of the day you’re really buying a German car.

Thanks to the Cascada’s unveiling at the North American International Auto Show, it’s also been noted that the new Buick Regal is not exactly American or Buick at all, but is also an Opel. In Europe the Regal is sold as the Insignia, which not only comes as a sedan, but also a station wagon, an option we don’t get here in the States.

Buick’s new look has been great, and has revitalized the sluggish sales as of late. In 2014, Buick sold 228,963 cars, which was an 11.4% increase from the previous year. With German engineering being the cornerstone and heart of the new cars for Buick, buyers can feel good knowing that they’re purchasing a quality car that has a blueprint from Germany, but still has an American badge. With the Cascada, Buick hopes to not have Chevrolet compete with them in this segment, and make a cheaper, knock-off version of the four seater convertible.

Hopefully Buick continues to look across the ocean for inspiration and importing cars from Europe, and rebadging them. While it’s true that they’re no longer Buick vehicles per se, they do have a German backbone, something Chevrolet can’t boast. With Cadillac becoming a distinct brand and really trying to distance themselves from GM as much as possible, Buck must do the same to stay alive. Right now Buicks don’t remotely look like GM cars anymore, and that’s a good thing.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

%d bloggers like this: