Production of the Buick Cascada has commenced at the GM-Opel production plant in Gliwice, Poland.
The compact soft-top convertible will be the facility’s first vehicle earmarked for export to the United States since it opened it first opened its doors in 1998. The plans began volume production of the Opel/Vauxhall Cascada in February of 2013, with output of the Aussie-market Holden Cascada commencing two years later in February 2015.
The Gliwice plant also produces the Opel/Vauxhall Astra as well as the Australian-bound Holden Astra. The Cascada is built on the same assembly line as the Astra models, but leaves the main line for installation of components specific to the convertible, such as the soft top.
In 2014, the plant produced about 89,000 vehicles. That figure is expected to climb as high as 160,000 in 2015 thanks to healthy demand for the new Astra K as well as production for new export markets of North America and Australia. By 2016, the plant is expected to be operating at 90 percent of its maximum capacity, which is approximately 207,000 vehicles in three shifts.
With 5,000 dealer orders already in the books, many are anticipating the arrival of the 2016 Buick Cascada. And though the vehicle, which is built on GM’s Delta II platform, isn’t likely to post huge sales figures for Buick, it will fill a niche market with just a single competitor.
Comments
Nice. Poland does not have a single Cadillac dealer, but at least they make a Buick!
Neither does 80% of the rest of Europe. What’s your point?
You will not find a vehicle in GM’s line up better put together than this Cascada will be. Poles take such pride in their work. Polish auto manufacturing facilities always rank at the top for quality and efficiency.
I remember when Europe went into the recession and auto manufacturers started scaling back and closing plants all over Europe. Fiat decided to close factories on home soil but left factory in Tychy, Poland open. Workers at closed Italian plants went outraged. Sergio’s Marchionne answer was simple, ‘if you’d build as many quality vehicles as Poles do maybe my decision would be different’ or something along those lines. Tychy plant is Fiat’s most efficient plant in the world. Vehicles leaving that factory are always rank at the top for fit and finish and quality and Fiat wasn’t about to lose their best plant even if it meant angering some folks at home.
I believe in 2009, Fiat’s five biggest Italian assembly plants produced 650,000 cars using 22,000 workers. That same year, a single Fiat plant in Tychy, Poland, produced 600,000 cars with 6,100 workers.
Same goes for GM’s plant in Gliwice.
The labor ratios are about Italian and German law plus union lower in old, industrial Europe.
Italy demands Fiat resist firings. Meanwhile, Poland drank the Reagan Kool-Aid. Seems that you lack an understanding of European labor markets.