The Opel Cascada is truly becoming a global vehicle. After its debut at the Detroit Auto Show as a Buick, GM reconfirmed that the convertible will be sold with the Holden badge starting this year.
As announced in 2014, the Holden Cascada will arrive later this year in Australia and New Zealand, joined by other rebadged Opel products – the Holden Astra GTC, Holden Astra VXR and Holden Insignia VXR.
“This makes the Cascada a convertible triplet on three continents – a very nice compliment and even more proof of the appeal of our large convertible,” said Opel Group CEO Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann.
Of course, Buick is no stranger to such practices, having adopted Opel products for a long time. The US brand currently sells the Encore (Opel Mokka), Verano (Opel Astra sedan) and Regal (Opel Insignia).
The Buick Cascada will therefore be the fourth Opel model sold in the US when it launches there in first quarter next year. And the trend will continue, with GM announcing last year that a new Buick model will be built by Opel at its main plant in Rüsselsheim later in the decade.
Developed in Germany at Opel’s International Technical Development Center in Rüsselsheim, the Cascada is built in Poland, at the Gliwice plant. As a result of the upcoming exports to the United States, Australia and New Zealand, the Polish plant will increase production, Neumann said.
In the United States, the Buick Cascada will be offered with the 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline engine producing 200hp and 300Nm (221lb-ft) of torque, mated to a six-speed automatic transmission.
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