For the first time in nearly 25 years, a convertible will have a place in the Buick lineup. At the upcoming North American International Auto Show, the 2016 Buick Cascada will take its place as the brand's attempt at courting the sunshine crowd.
What is it?
The last time that Buick offered a convertible in North America-or, anywhere-it was the early Nineties, and the model was a roofless variant of the Reatta coupe. The Hungarian-built convertible, which is essentially a rebadge of the Cascada available in Europe as an Opel and a Vauxhall, follows in the footsteps of the Buick Reatta last built for model year 1991.
Why debut a convertible now? Sales growth enabled Buick to bring on a new model, and it was the "right time" for the brand, Buick spokesperson Katie Bjork said.
"The convertible buyer tends to be very loyal to the convertible segment, but not necessarily to the brand," Bjork told AutoWorldNews. While it shares similarities with the Opel model, Buick's Cascada has a unique engine and transmission combination, Bjork said: a 1.6-liter turbocharged engine generating 200 horsepower and 206 pound-feet of torque, paired with a six-speed automatic transmission.
Buick is also expected to show off at least one more concept or production model, which may be the compact Envision SUV.
What's new?
For American buyers, everything, given that Buick hasn't offered a convertible in a quarter-century. The Cascada has been retuned for sale in the U.S. market and has revamped front and rear fascias as well as Buick badging.
Modern touches include OnStar LTE with a built-in Wi-Fi hotspot. When it comes to connected-car technology, the Cascada also uses Buick IntelliLink, which has a 7-inch-diagonal touch screen and features navigation, text message alerts and the Siri Eyes Free voice activation system. Buick's roster of safety systems, such as lane departure warning, rear parking assist, and a rearview camera, will also be available.
Most fascinating feature?
Its roof boasts a lowering time of 17 seconds at speeds of up to 31 mph, although it's intriguing that Buick decided not to get more advanced than a soft-top.
Can I buy it?
Expect the Cascada to hit dealerships in early 2016. In the absence of a Chrysler 200 convertible, the Cascada will have few competitors in the realm of plug-and-play soft-tops.
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