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2016 Buick Cascada

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 It’s finally here.

And it is NOT called the Velite. Other rumors were wrong, like a new “more Buick like” grille.
Or the 2.0 Liter engine.
Instead, it looks like we are getting the exact same car as the Opel version. Even the grille is exactly the same, which is almost weird. ( I wonder if Buick is abandoning its usual “waterfall” design to adopt the exact same on as Opel)
Even the engine is the same. We are getting the smaller 1.6 Liter with 200hp.
Which, as far as I know, hasn’t been available in the US so far.

Now more than ever, Buick=Opel.

No matter what, I think this is a great looking car.
Let’s hope they don’t price sit too high.

The bad/weird news: is is still a year away! As the on sale date is listed as “early 2016”.
Why??? Since it is sit exact same car that has been on sale in Europe for almost 2 years.
WTF????

Conversation 8 comments

  1. This "Buick" still has an Opel emblem on the front end. I don't know about the grill, but you can bet it won't be there when these hit dealer lots.

    Now imagine for a moment if Lexus was unveiling cars with Toyota emblems–press releases and all. What would it say about their brand, or Toyota as a manufacturer? Or the car itself? In this case I think it says a lot about Buick, General Motors, and their offerings; none of which are exactly positive, IMHO.

  2. The 2nd and 3rd pictures are the Opel version.
    Which I posted so people could see how similar both models are.

  3. My apologies, Vince, I went to GM media, downloaded the full-size pics, and can see that there actually is a tri-shield on that grill.

    I've been critical of the Buick "waterfall grill" for a while; wild to think that they're actually changing it.

  5. Vince – As an automotive journalist, you should already know that the federal certification process for safety and EPA ratings doesn't happen overnight. This is the reason it will take a year before the car is introduced in the U.S. Does this make sense?

  6. I think this looks great, and really helps with the convertible segment, a real VW EOS killer, in my opinion. As for the waterfall grille that the Enclave and Lacrosse have, I miss it; however, if they are just trasfering it straight from Europe, they have followed Alan Mulally, of FORD, in making the bodies universal, only name changes.

  7. Tiny tiny 2-1/2 passenger convertibles are a dime a dozen. Why not make a hardtop convertIble with enough back seat room to be useful as a day-to-day 2nd car? (instead of a weekend-only golf cart with barely enough room for 2 medium-sized orientals and 2 sets of clubs??? THIS IS AMERICA FOOLS! THINK BIG!!!

  8. It's attractive, but I don't understand why GM didn't give it a proper Buick grille.

    A nice addition to the Buick lineup, although it will be a niche seller at best.

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