Reviewed: The Vauxhall Cascada 4-Seater Convertible
There are few cars that compete well with established 4-seater convertibles like the Audi A5 and the BMW 4 Series. But one model, in particular, is aiming to challenge the dominating forces in this niche. I am, of course, talking about the Vauxhall Cascada. It’s a car that’s also known as the Opel Cascada outside of the UK.
It’s a svelte convertible that first got the motor industry talking about it back in 2013. Fast forward two years, and the model is still on sale. And that’s got to be a good thing, right? After all; a manufacturer will have pulled the plug on a poor performer long ago.
One question some might have is whether it’s a credible alternative to premium cars offered by the competition. In today’s review, I’ll give you a walkthrough of the features boasted by the Vauxhall Cascada.
Here is what you need to know:
Why has GM come up with this model?
General Motors is the company that owns Vauxhall, Opel, Holden and Buick among other brands. The Cascada is a model that GM offers across all four marques. But here’s the thing: why has the mighty American group of car companies come up with this particular model?
The answer is simple. They wanted a car that could compete with existing ones sold by the Germans! Audi and BMW have a few premium four-seater convertibles on offer. But there comes a time when people want to try something new. And this is why General Motors hopes it has an advantage.
An attractive convertible sold through some of GM’s subsidiaries is the Astra Convertible. It’s a cracking car, but there’s just one problem with it. Space is rather cramped at the back! The Cascada convertible is longer and wider than the Astra convertible. And that means there’s more room for rear passengers.
So, what are the key features to the Vauxhall Cascada? They are as follows:
Electric fabric roof
A feature you’ll often see on German convertibles are electric roofs. One selling point of this cheaper alternative to the BMW 4 Series Convertible is that it has a folding electric fabric roof.
The soft top can get deployed in just 17 seconds and at speeds of up to 30 mph. If you’re driving along with the top down, and it starts to rain, you won’t find yourself getting a soaking. Some convertible supercars don’t offer such a feature, believe it or not!
I had the chance to try this feature out when I took a model for a test drive down at A1 Carriages. It’s quite useful, but there’s only one snag. The road noise can sometimes be loud with the roof up. The good news is that Vauxhall offer an “acoustic” roof for an extra fee that will cut down on the unwanted noise.
One thing I liked about the roof being down was that there was no roof-top cover or protection in sight. The result is it doesn’t detract from the car’s contours and lines. Perfect for people with an obsession for cars with eye-catching bodywork!
If you need to carry a lot of cargo in the boot with the roof down, this may be a problem for you. You see, when the roof is down, it takes up 100 litres of space from the boot’s total volume of 380 litres. Still, it’s not something that is specific to the Cascada. Many convertibles suffer similar issues.
Comfort levels
Many people have commented that the front seats feel quite deep. That’s not always a bad thing, as it’s great to feel “held in” when you drive a car. Sometimes you’ll find on convertibles, even on “premium” models, that the front seats are poor. But that is not so with the Vauxhall Cascada.
There are just two trim levels on the Cascada: SE and Elite. The Elite offers the best seats out of the two models. That’s because you have four-way lumbar supports, as well as base and backrest angle tilting as standard. The leather seats in the Elite are also heated and ventilated.
The rear seats on both the SE and Elite fold down by electric means. That’s handy for people carrying awkward-sized cargo!
To reduce wind noise when the fabric roof is down, you can use the foldable windbreaker. It’s mounted behind the front seats. The only downside is that you can’t take any passengers with you on the rear seats when you’re using the windbreaker.
Equipment
The SE is the basic model in the Cascada range. Although, the features it has are anything but basic! As standard, you get 18-inch alloy wheels, air conditioning and cruise control.
You also get rear parking sensors, DAB digital radio and both front and rear electric windows. Leather interior, daytime running lights and four airbags also come as standard on the SE.
On the higher Elite model, you can choose from one of the many leather trims. Heated front seats, front fog lights and dual-zone climate control come standard. As does automatic headlights and rain-sensing windscreen wipers.
Electronic seat belt “butlers” are also a standard feature on the Elite. They slide the seat belts forwards before you drive off so that it’s more convenient for the car’s occupants to put their belts on!
Optional extras include reversing cameras, bi-Xenon headlights and blind-spot alert systems.
Engines and transmissions
There is a choice of petrol and diesel engines available on the Vauxhall Cascada. The petrol unit options are as follows:
- 1.4-litre turbo. 138 brake horsepower, 0-60 mph 9.9 seconds. Top speed is 129 mph. CO2 emissions of 149 g/km;
- 1.6-litre turbo. 167 brake horsepower, 0-60 mph 8.9 seconds. Top speed is 135 mph. CO2 emissions of 172 g/km;
- 1.6-litre SIDI turbo. 197 brake horsepower, 0-60 mph 8.2 seconds. Top speed is 146 mph. CO2 emissions of 158 g/km; and
- 1.6-litre SIDI turbo. 197 brake horsepower, 0-60 mph 8.2 seconds. Top speed is 146 mph. CO2 emissions of 158 g/km.
The 1.4-litre turbo is only available with a six-speed manual transmission. Other petrol engines are available with an optional six-speed automatic. The diesel choices are as follows:
- 2.0-litre CDTi. 162 brake horsepower, 0-60 mph 9.3 seconds. Top speed is 135 mph. CO2 emissions of 138 g/km; and
- 2.0-litre CDTi bi-turbo. 192 brake horsepower, 0-60 mph 8.6 seconds. Top speed is 143 mph. CO2 emissions of 138 g/km.
The 2.0-litre bi-turbo diesel is only available on the Elite models.
Conclusion
The Vauxhall Cascada has made a promising start to the four-seater convertible sector. Let’s hope that, in the future, we can expect more new features and engine choices!
