Opel Cascada - the embodiment of beauty
In the modern world, everything is subordinated to the idea of beauty - from medicine, through fashion, electronics, real estate, to the automotive industry. A perfect example of the latter direction is the new work of Opel engineers, which can be described in words: beauty, proportion, order, elegance.
When buying a car without a roof, you can hear a lot of harsh opinions: “could you afford a roof?”, “mid-life crisis?”, “a car for promotion”, etc. this machine must be practical. Not! This car must be beautiful. And this is the latest brainchild of Opel, debuting this year at the Geneva Fair. I'm talking about a model with the mysterious name Cascada. And here is one of the few disadvantages of this car. When I received the car for testing, everyone I spoke to: “I will have an Opel Cascade” heard: “What is this?” Some kind of family van? Unfortunately, this is not an appropriate name for a sports convertible. Leaving aside this small drawback, let's move on to the more pleasant part and the biggest advantage of this car. His appearance. A long, over 4,5 m (4696 cm) body with rounded shapes and ideal proportions, complete with 20-inch aluminum wheels, means that anonymity is not needed on the roads. When you get into this car, you can feel like a monkey in a zoo, which adults glance at, pretending that they do not care, and children point their fingers at an unprecedented level. However, looking at the front of this car, you involuntarily get the impression that you have already seen it somewhere, and you can even see it on the streets every day. Of course, you are right, the Opel Cascada has similarities with the well-known Astra IV, but, in my humble opinion, the front belt in this version looks better than in the city compact. Looking at the continuation of this machine is even better. A smoothly rising line towards the rear gives it an aggressive look, while the embossing and “roundness” make the car also very elegant. The rear also makes a big impression, but the line and design is a whole new idea. There is no denying that he was very successful. The combination of the taillights with silver stripe and the openwork diffuser in the bumper blends in perfectly with the rest of the car. However, sometimes a convertible doesn't always look as good with a roof as it does without it. It probably won't surprise you that Cascada doesn't have this problem. Opel has ditched the metal roof and replaced it with a canvas roof, which is cheaper, lighter and at the same time just as practical and durable. And one more thing. It fits perfectly with this car, providing a presence at the highest level. An additional advantage of such a roof is the possibility of its folding and unfolding in 17 seconds at speeds up to 50 km / h, which in practice is a very convenient solution. This means that if you drive according to the rules, you can do it on most city streets.
After praising the Cascada from the outside for a long time, it's time to go inside, so to speak, when I don't have half the car over my head. Unfortunately, I don't have good news for opponents of this car. Also in the “middle” the Cascada makes a very good impression, and it’s difficult to find fault with anything here. At the very beginning, I will mention that the car is registered to four people, and not to two fictitious ones. People up to 180 cm tall can sit in the rear seats without surgery to remove their lower limbs. In addition, Opel has equipped the flagship convertible with special leather upholstery that reflects sunlight, meaning we won't have to worry about skin burns after sitting in the chair. Moving to the front seats, you can again see the connection with the Astra IV. It's a dashboard that's no different from the above-mentioned model, but the Cascada could be much better equipped. The leather cockpit and details such as the light thread trim add prestige and at the same time make a very pleasant impression. Of course, one could go on and on about the additional options available on this car, such as e.g. heated and ventilated front seats with full electrical adjustment, a heated leather steering wheel, a navigation system, parking sensors front and rear with a rear view camera indicating the driving path, a blind spot sensor in the side mirrors, a phone connection via Bluetooth or a USB connection or an iPod. Unfortunately, the downside is the inability to play music from the phone. An interesting option, although not cheap (PLN 5200), are the bi-xenon adaptive headlights AFL+ (Adaptive Forward Lighting), which, based on the parameters of the OpelEye camera and a rain sensor, adjust the light beam to the current road. conditions. Thanks to this camera there is also a collision warning system and an unintentional lane change warning system (PLN 3900). However, what impressed me most was the small gadget that starts immediately after the door is closed. I call this a "seat belt guide" that comes out of the side pillar along with the seat belt, making it much easier to buckle. A small thing, but it makes me happy! Inside, it's also worth looking into the trunk, which is not the car's strongest point. Upon opening the tailgate I was greeted with 280 liters of capacity, which allows for a swipe, but with the roof open the boot space can be expanded to 350 liters with a single push of the roof partition. There is also a third option that allows the volume to be increased to 600 liters by folding the rear seats using the FlexFold system. The bigger issue, however, is the Cascada's cargo capacity, which can carry a maximum of 380 to 404 kg, which significantly reduces the amount of luggage with four people on board.
When choosing Cascada, a potential buyer can choose one of five drives. From the smallest 1.4 Turbo petrol engine with 120 hp. up to the most powerful 2.0 CDTI with 195 hp. A 1.4 Turbo with 140 hp and a 1.6 Turbo with 170 hp are also on the way. and 2.0 CDTI with 165 hp. In the price list, except for the weakest engine, all engines are available with the Start/Stop system. The tested unit had the last of the mentioned diesels under the hood, and it must be admitted that this is not the best idea. Despite the low fuel consumption (7,5 liters on the combined cycle), having a clanking diesel engine under the hood of a sports car is theoretically meaningless. However, there are people who will say that this does not bother them at all and that such a problem is not a problem. Of course, I respect this approach, but the most serious drawback is yet to come. We are talking about the so-called turbolag, which is huge in this engine. When shifting gears and pressing the pedal to the floor, you can easily set the navigation route, drink coffee, enjoy the view of the cabin and just feel the acceleration of the car. Even after turning on the SPORT mode, it has nothing to do with sports driving, so with this unit it is best to seal this button with black insulation.
Finally, I will note the price of this model. Opel changed its name from Astra to Cascada for a reason. The main purpose of this procedure was to change the competition of this model from cheaper roadsters (such as the Volkswagen Golf) to premium convertibles (such as the BMW 3 Convertible). All this makes the price tag from 111 thousand. zloty. for the smallest gasoline, and ending with just over 136 thousand. PLN for the most powerful diesel is a real opportunity. Of course, Opel can be retrofitted as you like, and then the price will rise significantly, and for the maximum configuration as a test version, you will have to pay about 170 from your wallet. zloty.
Opel Cascada is currently the most beautiful convertible on the market among its competitors. This is a car for people who do not like to get lost in the gray world of ordinary cars. This is a car that gives a permanent smile not only to the driver, but also to passers-by.
