Photo: Buick
Made in Poland. Originally labeled Opel. Based on the former-generation Astra. Plasticky interior full of physical buttons. The badge of an American premium automaker. There are many reasons why the Buick Cascada doesn’t make sense in the United States, but General Motors decided to keep the open-top cruiser alive. In fact, a few improvements are in store for MY 2018.
The first convertible Buick since the Reatta (1991) and the first two-door Buick since the Riviera (1999), the Cascada went official at the 2015 North American International Auto Show and went on sale in January 2016. Sales have been… modest to say the least, with the premium-oriented brand managing to move 7,153 examples during calendar year 2016. From the beginning of 2017 to August, Cascada sales are on a downward trend.
What did Buick think of doing in order to mitigate the ensuing commercial flop? Add more colors! I wish I were joking, but that’s all General Motors did to the Cascada for the 2018 model year, which is not nearly enough to tempt buyers into spending more than $33,000 on a front-wheel-drive convertible. With an old 1.6-liter turbo four-cylinder plant, to make matters worse.
About those new colors, the body shell can now be finished in “jewel-toned” Rioja Red Metallic, Dark Moon Blue Metallic, and Carrageen Metallic. The latter is exclusive to the range-topping Sport Touring trim level. The three join the existing palette, which includes Sport Red, True Blue Metallic, Summit White, Ebony Twilight Metallic, Deep Sky Metallic, Flip Chip Silver Metallic, and Toasted Coconut Metallic. And wouldn’t you know, even the soft top gains two new colors (Sweet Mocha, Malbec), which join the standard Ebony.
“Color is back,” argues Catherine Black, the lead designer of Buick’s Color and Trim Studio. I wish I were joking, but that’s right, Buick has a department with that very name, apparently. “While 80 percent of the exterior colors purchased globally are neutrals - black, silver or gray - many customers are starting to move away from these neutral tones and have an appetite for entirely different colors like dark navy and maroon,” she concluded.
What did Buick think of doing in order to mitigate the ensuing commercial flop? Add more colors! I wish I were joking, but that’s all General Motors did to the Cascada for the 2018 model year, which is not nearly enough to tempt buyers into spending more than $33,000 on a front-wheel-drive convertible. With an old 1.6-liter turbo four-cylinder plant, to make matters worse.
About those new colors, the body shell can now be finished in “jewel-toned” Rioja Red Metallic, Dark Moon Blue Metallic, and Carrageen Metallic. The latter is exclusive to the range-topping Sport Touring trim level. The three join the existing palette, which includes Sport Red, True Blue Metallic, Summit White, Ebony Twilight Metallic, Deep Sky Metallic, Flip Chip Silver Metallic, and Toasted Coconut Metallic. And wouldn’t you know, even the soft top gains two new colors (Sweet Mocha, Malbec), which join the standard Ebony.
“Color is back,” argues Catherine Black, the lead designer of Buick’s Color and Trim Studio. I wish I were joking, but that’s right, Buick has a department with that very name, apparently. “While 80 percent of the exterior colors purchased globally are neutrals - black, silver or gray - many customers are starting to move away from these neutral tones and have an appetite for entirely different colors like dark navy and maroon,” she concluded.
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