Vauxhall Cascada Revealed: The Return of the Buick Riviera Convertible?

From the Regal to the Verano, several of the new models in Buick’s revitalized lineup owe their origins to GM’s European operations where they were first engineered under the automaker’s Opel division. That could happen once again with the new Vauxhall Cascada a possible look at a future Buick convertible.

Not since the Riviera in the mid-1980s has GM’s mid-premium brand had a drop-top, and that name would certainly fit this new soft-top luxury machine.

Set to launch by year’s end in Europe it is sized just larger than an Audi A5 and will be the first product to offer an all-new 1.6-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder producing roughly 170-hp an 206 lb-ft of torque. A smaller 1.4-liter turbocharged engine will also be offered, as will a diesel, and Vauxhall says more powerful engines will be offered in the future.

Handling is aided by a HiPerStrut suspension with an available adaptive shock setup while wheel sizes are offered in 18 to 20-inches.

The fabric soft-top can be opened in 17 seconds at speeds of up to 30 mph.

Buick has given no indication that it will bring the Cascada to North America, though the car certainly seems to fit the brand image. Another new Vauxhall product, the Adam, has also been tipped as a possible addition to Buick’s US product lineup as a rival for the Fiat 500.

GALLERY: Vauxhall Cascada