Vauxhall today released full pictures of its Cascada full-size convertible that will launch the company into a fourth new sector this year, following on from its Ampera, Mokka and ADAM models.
The Cascada is a full four-seat, fabric-roof convertible which at nearly 4.7 metres in length is longer than an Audi A5 Convertible and positions Vauxhall in a sector that it hasn’t occupied since the 1930s.
Cascada’s design team, headed by Brit Mark Adams, has created a car with classic lines, redolent of the Grandes Routieres (luxury touring cars) of a bygone age, matched with a capacious cabin and high-quality materials.
An all-new 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine, producing 170PS and 280Nm of torque, and marking the first outing of Vauxhall’s MGE (Mid-Size Gasoline Engine) family, will be the highlight of a three-engine range.
Crucially for weather-hardened UK buyers, there will be a high-quality fabric hood, with superior acoustic and thermal insulation thanks to a special layer of polyester fleece between the outer and inner linings. Making the Cascada a practical year-round car, the hood can be opened in just 17 seconds at speeds up to 30mph by an interior switch, or via a button on the key fob.
Cascada’s dynamic credentials will be highlighted by an immensely rigid body, which is torsionally 43 per cent stiffer than Vauxhall’s last open-topped car, the Astra Twin Top. It will also use the much-praised HiPerStrut front suspension which was initially used on the 325PS Insignia VXR.
