The new 2013 Vauxhall Cascada – a full size convertible and the modern version of the Astra Twin Top – has been revealed.
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For some reason best known to Vauxhall, they chose not to debut the Cascada at the Paris Motor Show – perhaps to give the new Adam its moment in the sun – but now we get Vauxhall’s latest model in its revised line-up.
The Cascada is a proper full size, four seat convertible – it’s only a couple of inches shorter than a Mercedes E Class Cabriolet – and has its underpinnings based on elements from both the Insignia and Astra and comes with a folding fabric roof instead of the tin-top folding roof in the Twin Top which can be raised and lowered in 17 seconds at speeds of up to 30mph.
On the looks front, Vauxhall has done a decent job. The Cascada has classic lines redolent of luxury touring cars of a bygone age, according to Vauxhall, with ‘blades’ on the lower body side and a sharp crease that sweeps up to the tail lights with a chrome strip running round the cockpit to define the break from car to convertible.
Inside, Vauxhall has gone upmarket with hand crafted materials a step or two up from any other Vauxhall. New, deeply contoured seats come in a range of high quality fabrics and leathers with easy-entry seats for access to the back and electric seat belt presenters. All a sort of upmarket Insignia interior, by the sound of it.
Vauxhall say the Cascada is 10 per cent more resistant to bending than the old Astra Twin Top and 43 per cent more rigid. It uses HiPerStreut front suspension with the electric power steering bolted directly to the rack for more feel and comes with the option of Vauxhall’s FlexiRide adaptive chassis control system and a choice of alloys from 18-20″.
Powering the Cascada at launch are a range of engines from the 1.4 litre turbo petrol offering 140PS and the 2.0 litre CDTi diesel with 165PS to the new 1.6 litre SIDI Turbo, the first production engine from Vauxhall’s Mid Size Gasoline Engine (MGE) range. which offer 170PS and 206lb/ft of torque and comes with a new low friction six-speed auto ‘box. More powerful versions of the Cascada will be released later.
The new Vauxall Cascada will arrive in Vauxhall showrooms in the Spring of 2013 and is expected to cost from around £25,000.
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