General Motors reveals the 2016 Buick Cascada Convertible to the media on the eve of The North American International Auto Show in Detroit, on January 11, 2015.JEWEL SAMAD/AFP / Getty Images
2016 Buick Cascada
What is it?
Buick's big "surprise" reveal on the eve of the Detroit auto show has actually been around in Europe since 2013; it's a compact 2+2 convertible based on GM Europe's Opel Cascada, which is based in turn on the Delta architecture that also underpins the Chevrolet Cruze.
Signature feature
This is Buick's first convertible since the little-missed Reatta passed on in the early 1990s. Its insulated fabric top lowers in 17 seconds and can do so while the car is moving, at speeds below 50 km/h. And unlike many rag-tops, the Cascada looks almost as good with the top up as with it down.
What else is new?
Like the also Opel-based Buick Regal, the Cascada promises European driving dynamics, with body rigidity that Buick claims is a match for the BMW 4 Series convertible. The front seats automatically power forward at the touch of a button for access to the rear seats.
Under the hood
The front-wheel-drive powertrain comes over as-is from Europe, with a mere 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine putting out 200 horsepower and (with temporary over-boost) up to 221 lb-ft of torque. The Opel can be had with a six-speed manual, but the Buick version is a six-speed automatic only.
When can we buy it?
No plans at this point for Canada, but it goes on sale in the United States later this year. If it was sold in Canada, we estimate pricing in the mid-$40,000 range.
Cool quotient
4 stars (out of 5)
It's pretty, and promises an affordable alternative to Audi and BMW cabriolets.