Nobody at Buick will tell you that the 2016 Cascada convertible is estimated to be a volume player for the brand’s lineup. Nevertheless, the European import already has tallied 5,000 orders from dealerships, with several months still between now and its Spring 2016 launch target.
The order figure was confirmed to us by Vice President of Buick-GMC Duncan Aldred during the 2015 Los Angeles Auto Show.
We’ll be the first to admit that we never anticipated the rebadged Opel to be much of a mover here in the USA, the initial order figure is impressive and should make for a strong launch out of the gate. And while “orders” don’t directly mean direct customer “sales” just yet, we’d figure it healthy to compare the order number of the Cascada to actual sales figures of some current Buick models. For example, the Buick Regal sold 1,655 units in the US market in October 2015 and 15,761 sales year-to-date (a number that’s down 16.43% year-over-year). Meanwhile, the Buick Verano (a cousin to the Cascada), sold 2,693 units in the US market in October 2015 and 27,695 units year-to-date (down 25.93% year-over year).
The 2016 Buick Cascada has been priced from $33,990 in the US market, and comes with a 200-horsepower 1.6-liter turbocharged engine mated to a six-speed automatic gearbox. The 2016 Cascada also features an acoustically and thermally insulated electro-hydraulic power roof that lowers in 17 seconds at speeds of up to 31 mph. Options also include 20-inch wheels, which is rather big for the segment. Look for it to compete against vehicles such as the Audi A3 Cabriolet, while scooping up some customers that enjoyed the late Chrysler Sebring and Pontiac G6 convertibles.
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Or the Camry solara convertible
first production. 5 pictures for production
http://www.motofakty.pl/artykul/galeria/buick-cascada-z-zakladow-w-gliwicach/1.html
So, there are around 2,000 Buick GMC dealerships in the USA.
Considering this is the first convertible since the Pontiac Solstice for Buick-GMC dealerships, it’s not hard to imagine that Buick is offering some incentives for a showroom model at each dealership.
That pares the number down to 3,000 additional orders. I wouldn’t say this is much of a “mover” considering many dealers will sell them to small fleets.
With the demise of the G6 & 200 convertibles, there really aren’t any FWD convertible 4-seaters out there domestically (spare me the “what about x” car – they’re usually too premium or too niche for fleet use). Those additional 3,000 units will wind up doing fleet duty if they sit on lots.
In sum, not really impressive – more expected. The real challenge for Cascada will be competing with Camaro Convertible and Mustang Convertible for only slightly more. Two vastly better cars, with the same seat count, for not that much more.
Cascada is a major missed opportunity. Haldex AWD can do rear bias. With an LTG, it could have served as a four-seater performance car that does RWD off the line, FWD on the highway, and AWD when you need it.
The Cascada is after the market left by the Solara, 200 and G6 convertibles and not potential pony car convertible fans.
Buick is aiming for more white space and I think they will be more successful than you think.
GM underestimated the midsized truck segment and they are doing it again.
Can you say, WOMEN! Solera, Sebring, C-70, etc.This is a halo vehicle! And look at the number of 50 plus women…like Mary Barra!
Who said that the Cascada was intended to be Buick’s halo vehicle.
That job goes to the Avenir.
I was wondering what the dealer count was, thanks. It would make sense that every Buick dealer would place an order for at least one of these. Some larger dealers, or those in the south would probably want two or three so that they can have one in the showroom and still do demos. Also, I suspect that Buick will sell tons of them to rental fleets in California and Florida.
The same seat count?? Surely you don’t really believe that two human beings can fit in the back seat of a Camaro or Mustang. Those cars, especially their convertible versions, can only realistically fit two people. Thus the term 2+2. That is why this is a very different product than they are. That said, I’m not sure either how many garages this car will find. Hopefully enough to make it a worthwhile exercise as an image car for Buick.
It’s been the vehicles Buick didn’t really expect good sales from that have performed really well. And why? Top of my head because they are in segments that no one else was in. Others have since followed suit with compact luxury offerings because of it. Same with this drop top. It’s that white space that they keep wanting to fill. Why directly compete when you can sell something the others aren’t.
How the heck does this happen.. Buick gets a convertible while Cadillac doesn’t as this is another reason to call for Cadillac President Johan de Nysschen’s head.
It’s not de Nysschen’s fault. The ATS Convertible was axed prior to his appointment.
The ATS Convertible was supposed to ride alongside the second-gen G6 convertible, and the two programs were supposed to sustain the platform cost for (non-Camaro) Alpha to go topless.
The ATS Convertible was on borrowed time from the moment the Alpha G6 was axed.
Today the only options for GM to make a convertible quickly for Cadillac would be to make a Firebird-esque ultra-plush Camaro, or pull an XLR off of C7… or do a Cascada with Haldex and LTG. There just aren’t many convertible choices for GM at the moment – with all the platform consolidation.
None of those options are appealing to de Nysschen’s vision of unique platforms for Cadillac. That takes time. Post-2020 time.
Agree with your point about Cadillac’s convertible dilemma and that it was a pre-JdN decision but I do not see where Pontiac and especially the FWD G6 played a role in axing a prospective RWD ATS convertible.
EvDave, it was speculated that the next Gen G6 was going to be RWD and be on the alpha platform.
The G6 was going to be the “inexpensive” ATS….that ofcourse was the “plan” until 2009 when Pontiac was discontinued.
The Alpha RWD platform was to have:
Cadillac ATS
Pontiac G6
Cadillac CTS
I recall grumblings of the G8 going to a lighter chassis as the Holden sourced chassis was to heavy and impeded handling and fuel economy.
Yeah you may be right. I am not too sure bout the G8, but since it arrived as the Chevy SS a few years later. Perhaps it was only grumblings and the Alpha based G6 would have satisfied Pontiac customers that wanted a lighter stiffer chassis. again this was all speculated along with the return of the Camaro did not gurantee that Pontiac was going to get the Firebird…but it’s hard to imagine after the first year or 2 of the 5th generation Camaro sales that if Pontiac was still around would have had gotten the Firebird back.
Some ppl will say that Pontiac is not needed but the 5th GM division even with only a 3 car line (Chrysler only has 3 vehicles) would help GM get a few more products out. The G6 would be the affordable ATS. a G8. then the firebird (which they could charge a premium for over the Camaro).
Basically GMC and Pontiac would give you that vehicle to buy over Chevy.
while Buick and Cadillac are out fighting in their respective markets.
I hear you about Pontiac but historically the majority of their clients came from other GM brands. Pontiac never dominated in the conquest sales department.
Chrysler division is really struggling right now and if it were not for Jeep then all of FCA would be in serious trouble.
Three models is not enough to be a viable division especially when selling only in NA.
Brand engineering is not what GM is about these days. They are moving to unique powertrains for Cadillac and specific models for Buick.
GMC is it’s own unique animal. Hundreds of thousands of customers willing to pay thousands extra from glossed up Chevy’s.
I liked Pontiac (owned a couple as a younger lad ) and was sad to see them go but GM is stronger for it.
A financially healthier GM is better for the remaining brands all around.
Pontiac did usually take some other customers from GM brands.
That’s why I was just playing armchair CEO with my suggestion. I was just trying to make the division tackle a few wholes and also make it a bit like GMC (by using the FIrebird as a dressed up Chevy)
Really the car that is missing from GM’s current lineup that would take from a lot of other brands is a RWD G6. That would not take from Chevy’s customers and it would be more affordable which would not harm Cadillac’s ATS customers. it would put a major dent into BMW, Mazda & Dodge.
Before Pontiac was axed, Bob Lutz had planned for Holden to lead up the platform development of Zeta II. Alpha would have gone smaller, absorbing Kappa.
Without Pontiac, and Holden possibly being vaporized (including designers), Doug Leone was tapped to take over, and move Alpha to the mid-size to large-size to replace Sigma II and support Camaro. Any hopes of super-lightweight Alpha cars (Torana TT36, Solstice, etc) died with Bob Lutz’s departure.
Ironically, they’re now returning to that R&D to create a small-size RWD hatchback for Cadillac… possibly with a Chevy to replace HHR & Trax down the road.
The Chevy SS returned because Holden reminded GMNA that they had a contract to handle a captive import program… but GMNA didn’t want to really support it. Which is why the Chevy SS lacks a V6, 6.0L V8, or any marketing outside of online ads.
I was sad to see the Solstice /Sky twins go. I assumed GM would have moved that chassis to another division like Chevrolet.
Unfortunately, GM’s poor union contracts both made the Solstice and Sky possible… and did them in.
Bob Lutz leaped at the idea of Solstice because the Wilmington, DE plan was going idle – and GM realized the union contracts would have cost GM more money to idle the plan (including paying workers for years – to do literally nothing)… than to make a car that GM lost money on.
That is why the pressure was on Alpha to absorb Kappa while Lutz was there. Solstice and Sky had to shut down by 2014. Lutz always wanted a hatchback to support Solstice and Sky. He tried twice, first with the Nomad concept, and then again with Holden’s Torana TT36 concept. Both cars never got green lit, but each would have killed the Golf R.
There was also the Aero-X concept, which was Saab’s effort to have a Kappa. Saab was vetoed when trying to take that into production. By 2007, it was clear Saab was unsustainable.
The other problem for Kappa was that it was too unique. Wilmington couldn’t support a second platform car production, and Bowling Green would have cost tens of millions to retool to produce Kappas. With GM declaring bankruptcy, no funding to make an Alpha roadster… Obama’s car czars gave Lutz the boot, and killed Pontiac and Kappa in one gigantic email.
Sad thing is had Kappa stayed in production to 2014, it would have gained some form of a V6, and had a second round of buyers – it would have broken even as the sunk costs were amortized out. Solstice and Sky were the best selling American roadsters in every full year of production.
A lot will depend if it is just put on the lot or if there is some decent advertising behind it — both in impressions and content.
A 30 second ad with glamour shots with the accompanying soundtrack of The Beatles’ Here Comes the Sun would effectively create the kind of awareness that Buick wants.
5000 pre-orders.
4500 of them for Naples, FL., and Del Webb’s Sun City in Phoenix.