Opel Cascada is the calling card of the brand
Sunset, smooth asphalt in front of us and the lack of a roof over our heads - this is the recipe for the perfect end of the day for many motorists. Opel is well aware of this, so we were able to find the Cascada model in the brand's offer throughout the year. The car looks great, but is the design its only advantage?
Cascada (Spanish for "waterfall") is positioned as a separate exclusive model, but the front apron and wheelbase, identical to the Astra GTC (2695 millimeters), show a strong resemblance to the popular hatchback. But the Opel convertible is distinguished by taillights with a chrome strip passing through the hatch (similar to the Insignia), and a significant body length, which is almost 4,7 meters. Most importantly, Cascada looks really good and proportionate. In order not to spoil the spectacular line, the anti-roll bars are hidden. There were even rumors that on its basis the German company created a successor to the legendary Calibra.
Another element indicating a relationship with the Astra is the cockpit. And this means that we have 4 knobs and just over 40 buttons at our disposal, which is just enough to drive the driver crazy. The layout of the keys isn't very logical and most of them will only be used once - and probably just to see if they work at all. Fortunately, the multimedia system is designed quite reasonably, and one handle is enough to navigate it. At least in this case, there is no need to refer to the manual.
The fact that Cascada wants to be "premium" is said first of all by the materials inside. You only need to look at the seats. The interior is dominated by leather, pleasant to the touch plastic and inserts imitating carbon. However, they do it well enough that they cannot be attributed to shortcomings. Production quality? Just great. You can see that Opel has really tried to make the fit of the individual elements to the highest level.
The biggest problem with convertibles, namely the amount of space in the back seat, has been solved quite well. People with a height of 180 centimeters can travel by car without any obstacles (but rather for short distances). With the roof unfolded, second-row passengers will be affected by air turbulence that occurs at a speed of about 70 km / h. If there are only two of you, then it is possible (or rather necessary) to deploy the so-called. wind shot. True, no one will sit in the back, but even near the “weave” in the cabin it will be quiet and relatively calm.
Daily use of Cascada can be a little problematic. And it's not about isolation from extraneous noise, because despite the fact that the roof is torn off, the noise level in the city is not much different from traditional vehicles. We will suffer from poor visibility - you can hardly see anything from behind, and the A-pillars are large and tilted at an acute angle. It takes a lot of acrobatic skills to get out of the test Opel in a tight parking lot, and this is due to long (after all, up to 140 centimeters in size!) Doors. Without the proper feeling, you can easily scratch a nearby car.
The boot aspect also remains. It has 350 liters, so it can easily fit two suitcases. However, we will not open the roof then. To do this, you need to unlock a special compartment that will “steal” 70 liters and make the trunk completely useless due to its shape (fortunately, the sash remains on the drives). In addition, the packaging is hindered by a small loading opening. Carrying capacity is also not very good - Opel will withstand only 404 kilograms.
All these problems are irrelevant when we press the button on the central tunnel to open the roof. We can do it almost anywhere, because the mechanism works up to 50 km/h. After 17 seconds, we enjoy the sky above our heads. The process itself does not require any complicated steps - no hooks or levers. If you buy heated seats and a steering wheel, then even an air temperature of 8 degrees will not be a hindrance, which I did not fail to check.
Under the hood of the test sample is a four-cylinder turbocharged unit with direct injection with 170 horsepower (at 6000 rpm) and 260 Nm of torque, available at 1650 rpm. This provides Cascada with quite satisfactory performance. Opel accelerates to the first "hundred" in just under 10 seconds.
170 horsepower is a lot, but in practice you will not feel this power. We will not notice a strong “kick” during acceleration. Gear shifting is precise, but the joystick's long travel effectively limits the sporty driving style. Well, the car was created for leisurely trips.
Cascada's biggest problem is its weight. With a full tank of fuel, the car weighs almost 1800 kilograms. This, of course, is due to the additional strengthening of the chassis to ensure the safety of passengers in case of a possible accident. Unfortunately, this mainly affects fuel consumption - an Opel convertible with this engine in the city requires about 10,5 liters of gasoline per hundred kilometers. On the road, 8 liters will suit him.
Heavy weight also affects handling. Thanks to the use of the HiPerStrut suspension (known from the Astra GTC), the Cascada doesn't tend to surprise the driver with understeer, but it's enough to drive a few corners and it turns out that the car is constantly struggling with its extra weight. The vehicle can be equipped with electronically controlled damping force (FlexRide). The differences in individual modes - Sport and Tour - are noticeable, but we will not turn this car into an athlete at the touch of a button. The optional rims with 245/40 R20 tires look phenomenal but reduce comfort and make even the smallest ruts annoying.
You can buy Cascada only in the highest version called "Cosmo", that is, in the richest configuration. So we get dual-zone air conditioning, a leather steering wheel, rear parking sensors and cruise control. The price list opens a car with a 1.4 Turbo engine (120 hp) for PLN 112. But that's not all, the manufacturer has prepared quite a long list of accessories. It is worth choosing heated front seats (PLN 900), bi-xenon headlights (PLN 1000) and, if we use Cascada every day, better soundproofing (PLN 5200). A car with a 500 Turbo engine, which seems to best suit the "tabloid" nature of the convertible, will reduce our wallet by PLN 1.6.
Opel Cascada is trying very hard to break with the stigma of "asters without a roof." In order not to be associated with the popular hatchback, the name Twin Top was abandoned, the materials and quality of the finish were finalized. Will such a plan work? Convertibles are not popular in Poland. Cascada produced in Gliwice is likely to remain a curiosity in the brand's offer.
