The question is: is this the 2016 Buick Regal Cabriolet or the 2016 Buick Verano Cabriolet testing in our back yard? Several Opel Cascadas were seen testing at high altitude in Colorado. Now, for the record, there were no Buick badges on any of the Opel Cascada convertibles we followed.
Cascada is Spanish for “waterfall.”
Being that General Motor’s European partners build cars that become Buicks, and given the exterior design which looks like a cross between the Buick Regal and Buick Verano, the exterior certainly looks like a Buick. A few bits of plastic, a few badges and – Bob’s-your-uncle – you have a 2016 Buick Regal Cabriolet or 2016 Buick Verano.
Okay, it takes more than a few badges to make the Opel Cascada into a Buick.
One of the main reasons Colorado gets so many prototype/test-mule vehicles is for emission and performance testing where the air is rarefied. Many automakers like the winter conditions we get as well. Even Colorado’s high speed highways and in-city traffic are handy testing tools for automakers.
The 2016 Buick Regal Cabriolet, if it’s built, should have the same 2-liter engine found in the Regal and Verano lines. The Opel Cacada comes with a smaller four cylinder. The engine produces 170 PS (167.67 horsepower) of power and 280 Nm (206.49 lbs feet) of torque. The Cacada has a diesel option among its powerplants in Europe, but it’s doubtful it will debut with it.
One of the Opels drove like it had a manual transmission – which is quite possible and very groovy. They definitely look slick top-up; however, we never caught one with its top down. Story of my life. If we do catch one in the near future, we’ll attach that photo to this posting.
There were several examples testing and can’t wait to find out more. Stay tuned to TFLCar for video footage of the newest prototypes, test-mules and rolling oddities out there! It’s all coming soon!
Speaking of slick European vehicles…
