2016 Buick Cascada Is a Typical Case of Rebadging, Goes on Sale in Early 2016

Buick has unveiled the 2016 Cascada 2+2 convertible, which is nothing more than a rebadged Opel Cascada that will go on sale in the US in early 2016.

Scheduled to debut at the Detroit Auto Show, the Cascada will be the first Buick convertible offered in the United States in 25 years. For our European readers though, there’s nothing new about the Cascada, which Opel has been selling since March 2013.

With the exception of the Buick badges and grille, the US version of the car will feature the exact same design and technology, with power coming from a 1.6-liter four-cylinder turbocharged engine that produces 200hp and 206lb-ft (280Nm) of torque. Mated to a six-speed automatic transmission, the engine offers an overboost feature that briefly pushes torque to 221lb-ft (300 Nm). The 2016 Buick Cascada also gets the HiPer Strut front suspension and Watts Z-link suspension in the rear.

It takes 17 seconds for the Cascada to drop its soft top, and it can do that at speeds up to 31 mph (50 km/h). Among the car’s features Buick lists the IntelliLink infotainment system with a 7-inch-diagonal color touch screen, Buick OnStar 4G LTE with built-in Wi-Fi hotspot, electronic rear-seat entry system, electric safety belt presenters, rollover protection bars as well as safety assist systems including lane departure warning, rear park assist, rearview camera and Rainsense windshield wipers.

The Cascada offers 13.4 cubic feet (380 liters) of cargo space with the top up and 9.8 cubic feet (280 liters) with the top down. The rear seatbacks fold down electronically to expand cargo capability for longer items. Interestingly, the 2016 Buick Cascada will be offered with standard 20-inch alloy wheels.

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