OPEL Cascada Models/Series Timeline, Specifications & Photos

After several generations of compact Kadett and Astra cabriolets, Opel returns to an older tradition of prestigious mid-size, four-seat convertibles from the 50’s and 60’s with the new Cascada. With the new convertible, Opel aims to go side by side with premium brand convertibles such as Audi, BMW, or VW.

On the exterior, we got a broad stance and a flowing continuity of sculpted shapes. With its top down, the car has a perfectly clean profile, with no visible roof-top covers and a raked A-pillar. The front end looks sporty, having a bulged bonnet, chrome insertions, sharp-angled headlights, and honeycombed grills.

LED technology is used both for headlights and tail-lights. The rear end is simple and sharp, with a small boot-lid that incorporates the tail-lights. The soft top is nice too, having an aerodynamic shape and being built using top-quality materials. It benefits from a high level of acoustic and thermal isolation thanks to a special polyester fleece layer between the outside layer and the interior lining.

The interior offers a striking sculptural yet sporty design, with lines from the wing-shaped instrument panel flowing into the doors. At the wheel, where you sit quite high up, the cabin offers a mixture of an Opel-styled dash, you get an over-buttoned center console similar found in an Astra or an Insignia.

The AGR-certified ergonomic seats are wrapped in soft Nappa leather and benefit from heating and ventilation systems. Opel Cascada has great storage capacity for a convertible, benefiting from storage spaces in the doors, instrument panels, and even in the central console. And speaking about luggage, the boot has a capacity of 350 liters when the soft-top is up and 280 when it is folded.

Thanks to long doors, access to the two rear seats is easy for a medium-sized adult. The Easy Entry system makes it easier when the front seats fold and slide with a single lever pull. Once in place, most adults should feel quite comfortable.

Enough with common details, let's talk about the specific one. The Opel Cascada's soft-top, which opens in 17 seconds, can be operated at speeds of up to 30mph, which is useful and helpful in the event of sudden rain. When the top is down, there's no visible roof-top cover or roll-over protection to clutter the car's lines. They are well hidden and activated only in case of collision.

Performance and comfort are decent. The petrol engines are smooth and quiet in normal driving unless you are not the 1.4-liter owner, which is a bit lazy and unresponsive if you are looking for a sporty drive. The turbodiesel is a somehow noisier and delivers a few more vibrations than the petrol engines, but it's more powerful and economical.

Road noise in all is nicely suppressed in both cases with the up or down. As standard, the Cascada comes with a dual-layered roof. It has an option of a triple-layered acoustic roof, which not only keeps the cabin warmer in winter (and cooler in summer) but does damp out outside noises even further. A wind deflector you manually put up is standard on Elite models and optional on the SE.

The price spent on the Cascada is more than you wish for. The catchy design and the German-style engineering make it a good choice for cabrio buyers. It is not as you'd expect to be like an Audi, Volvo or BMW. But tends to give that premium-class feeling. Some might even find this car to be better looking.