Opel Cascada Could Be Exported As A Buick, Says Opel Exec
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Opel’s director of strategy Dr. Thomas Sedran recently told German auto industry publication Automobilwoche that the Opel Cascada could be exported as a Buick to China, and that such a vehicle would fill a gap in the American brand’s product lineup.
“There is a request from GM,” said Sedran in German (translated into English via Google Translate). The executive did mention, however, that even if the export venture came to fruition, the Cascada wouldn’t be exported in high volumes, citing 30,000 to 40,000 export units per year.
In 2012, GM Authority reported that Buick was in the process of obtaining a trademark for the word “Riviera”, possibly signaling the automaker’s desire to resurrect the storied nameplate used for the brand’s previous coupe offerings. And in 2007, Buick revealed a Riviera concept at the Shanghai Motor Show in China; the vehicle was based on GM’s midsize Epsilon vehicle architecture and didn’t appear on the auto show circuit after that.
But when Opel unveiled the Astra-based Cascada convertible riding on GM’s compact Delta vehicle architecture, Buick enthusiasts expressed great interest in such making its way to North America wearing Buick’s famed Tri Shield badge. That kind of offering would fill an explicit gap in the Buick product portfolio since the brand hasn’t offered a two-door model since 1999, when the last-generation Riviera was discontinued. As such, a beautiful and elegant soft-top convertible such as the Cascada would seem right at home as a Buick, especially given GM’s global alignment of the Opel and Buick brands. But exporting to China is one thing… how about bringing it to North America?
Hat tip to GM Authority reader The German.
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This would be my next car if they did bring the Cascada here!
It’s a damn good looking car!
How about a two seater rag top based on the Astra to fit below Cascada & simply known as Astra convertable.
@V8 John the Cascada is already a rag top Astra… and its four seats allow it to appeal to a bigger market. If anything, a RWD roadster should be next.
I’ve posted to this blog a couple previous times and mentioned that my wife and I would buy the Buick Velite concept car if it were to be produced by GM. It’s one the most beautifully styled cars we’ve seen in quite some time. Using the Riviera nameplate is an even better idea. Now ‘Just Do It…and consider it sold.
Considering it is Sunday. PRAISE THE LORD It would be nice to see Buick fill a gap in their portfolio with this car. It would make a beautiful Buick, even Riviera. But considering all the old names are gone, they’ll probably call it something different if it does make it.
It’s about time we started getting some Buick’s in return as Vauxhall’s & Opel’s
I expect to see it. I expect it to be exported around the world as GM looks to fill capacity in Europe. The Euro is low, so it won’t be like bringing the Commodore from Australia. In fact, I expect the convertible will show up in N.A., Australia, Middle East, and maybe China.
I like it. Now where do I bolt on the roof rack?
… imagines a soft top convertible with a roof rack.
The Sebring convertible, though it was killed off due to slow sales, still sold a bunch. Something like 1/4M in it’s first 3 years (07-08-09). Slows sales may have been it’s end, but they were never particularly good cars so I think that is what caught up with it.
The Opel looks great, we know it will be great, so it stands to reason it could do very well at Buick. It wouldn’t be stepping on the toes of anything else in GM’s portfolio either.
astra please!
Will there be a possibility of a open top Mokka with a canvas roof stretching the full length of the car to the rear tail gate (similar to Adam convertible) in the not to distant future?
Sedran explicitly mentioned the nameplate “Riviera” for a possible Buick twin of the Opel Cascada, according to the “Automobilwoche” article (“Automobilwoche” is, BTW, a publication of the US-based Crain group).
Sorry, but after all the Transatlantic transplant failures in the past, why does GM insist on doing it again? Most recent example the Astra.
No, the most recent example is the Regal that was initially built in Germany before changing to Oshawa. There is also the new compact SUV the Buick Encore and the A-Segment Spark that are being imported and are becoming successful.
An even more recent “transatlantic transplant” is the Astra sedan, which is being offered in China as Buick Excelle GT and in North America as Buick Verano “luxury compact”.
I heard that it is quite successful.
The Buick encore is a transpacific transplant.
As markets & buyers demand even more diversity its inevitable cars will be imported from every corner of the globe & why not every sale is another towards the grand total. Bring in these various models & cater for the demand.
May I remind the dear co-contributors that, according to the article, and said in the blog post, Mr. Sedran said “that the Opel Cascada could be exported as a Buick to China”.
China, not USA.
This does, of course, not preclude an introduction of the model to North America, but that possibilty was not spelled out in the article.
The headline and big news of the article, BTW, was not the Cascada as a Buick Riviera, but that the next generation Mokka would be manufactured in Europe, not in Korea. Some journalists seem to have willingly misunderstood this as a decision to move production of the CURRENT Mokka generation to Europe.
“Could”
Rockey, have to agree. Though the Saturn Astra was poorly packaged at a time when Saturn had already lost its way with the even worse Ion, although I would buy an ION Redline in a second…
Back in the day (1997-1999) Vauxhall sold the Sintra (a rebadged Chevrolet Ventura) it had 3.0V6 CDX & 2.2 CD (with a 2.2 diesel sold for about a month just before its axe) in total they sold around 4000 over two years. I thought they were ok although I wouldn’t buy one because I didn’t have a need for one. In the late 90′s the market was changing with demand for smaller MPVs hence Zafira, Agila & Meriva. Some imports are a roaring success others not so, also I think a lot is to do with timing & how the market is been or going.
As Alex pointed out, this would be a rag top sedan… something that has been missing since a hard top G6 Pontiac disappeared with the brand.
My wife got one of the last cars left… full price, and we didn’t care. People still ask us about it because they were never aware that the car even existed. As I recall, there was never commercials made for it because it was considered a niche vehicle.
We store it in the winter, and if someone puts a scratch on it… Even I don’t want to be near her.
The General has needed a sedan convertible for over a few years… this Opel could fill that “niche”, and the best part… it’s made in a fellow democracy, where the citizens run their country.
Wonder if we will ever get the Buick GL8 in Europe as a Vauxhall & Opel ??