OAKBROOK TERRACE, Illinois –Buick Vice President of Marketing Tony DiSalle spotlighted the all-new Buick Cascada during the Midwest Automotive Media Association (MAMA) monthly meeting. The Cascada is one of four new vehicles that Buick recently introduced or will unveil this year. Sharing showroom space with the Encore, Envision and Enclave, the Cascada enters a “white space” in the compact coupe convertible market.
While the Cascada is new to the U.S., it has been available in Europe since 2013 under the Opel name. Designed from the ground up to be a convertible, DiSalle says to not mistake the Cascada for a performance vehicle – there are plenty of others to fill that need. Instead, the Cascada mirrors Buick’s already established image of “beautiful, quiet, spirited and efficient.”
“This is not a ‘throw your head back, 0-60 miles per hour kind of car,’” DiSalle explained.
Power comes from a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, with 200 hp and 207 lb.-ft. of torque. The power-operated top can be raised or lowered at speeds up to 31 mph in just 17 seconds. The sculpted simple, yet sporty, convertible rides on 20-inch alloy wheels that come standard.
From a tech standpoint, the Cascada becomes a mobile hotspot with standard 4G LTE in-car WiFi. Also available is OnStar’s RemoteLink system that allows owners to control their car remotely. Users of the RemoteLink mobile app can turn on and off their vehicle, manage WiFi usage, lock or unlock the doors and even locate the vehicle. Rear-seat entry is eased to allow passengers to enter the vehicle comfortably, thanks to a system that automatically powers the front seats forward. The technology also automatically moves the seats back when the seatback is returned to the upright position.
In terms of safety, the Cascada offers rollover protection bars that deploy behind the rear seats in the event a rollover is detected. Additional features include lane departure warning, rear park assist, rearview camera and efficient windshield wipers that can sense rain.
DiSalle gave a glimpse into Buick’s future and said the brand will continue to focus on three key items: quality, customer satisfaction and – to the auto journalists’ delight – new product. Buick continues to court a younger demographic and conduct advertising with the goal of shifting its brand image.
The Cascada starts at a $33,990 and has already proven to be popular in Chicago. Buick doubled its sales expectations with the Cascada last month – speaking volumes for a convertible in the month of February in Chicago.
