As the temperatures rise, we round up
four new cabriolets to see which is the summer's best buy
It's been a long time coming, but summer is
finally here. And with blue skies overhead, there's no better time to lift the
lid on the latest crop of convertibles.
Starting our rag-top round-up is the
Vauxhall Cascada – part of the brand's push upmarket. With classy looks a
spacious cabin and attractive pricing the newcomer has premium rivals like the
Audi A5 in its sights. We test it in $35,993 entry-level 1.4 SE guise.
The Audi RS5, meanwhile, promises supercar
performance in a stylish, four-seater soft-top. But the coupé got only a
lukewarm reception, so can the Cabriolet do better?
If it's high fashion rather than high
performance that floats your boat, then the new VW Beetle Cabriolet could be
ideal. Retro lines and VW Golf running gear combine to deliver stylish and
sensible wind-in-the-hair thrills.
And no convertible test would be complete
without a roadster. The BMW Z4 has been given a mid-life refresh, but has this
done enough to lift it above the talented Audi TT?
Vauxhall Cascada
Upmarket convertible aims to take on
BMW and Audi
Wedge
shape helps Vauxhall stand out, and while feedback is limited, the ride is
composed
Vauxhall has gone soft with its latest
addition to the fashionable four-seater convertible class. Unlike the Astra
TwinTop that it replaces which had a folding metal hardtop – the new Cascada uses
a traditional fabric roof.
It's also bigger than the old car, both
inside and out, which puts it squarely in the sights of premium convertible
rivals such as the Audi A5 and BMW3 Series. Yet with prices starting at $35,993
for the entry-level SE tested here, the Vauxhall significantly undercuts these
upmarket cars.
Fortunately, it doesn't look like a
cut-price special. A sleek nose, boldly sculpted flanks and plenty of chrome
trim help it stand out, while all versions get 18-inch alloys as standard. It's
not all good news, though, because the Vauxhall's combination of slightly
ungainly fabric roof and wedge profile means, from some angles, it looks like
the unloved Chrysler Sebring convertible, last seen in the UK in 2009.
Wait 15.9 seconds for the powered roof to
lower, and matters improve. Not only does the Cascada look more attractive with
the top down, passersby also het to appreciate the surprisingly classy
interior. Most of the materials have a high-quality look and feel while neat
touches include the stitched artificial leather covering the top of the
dashboard and red ambient lighting for the gearlever surround. And while the
buttons for the infotainment system are far too small and fiddly to use, the
rest of the layout is attractively designed, and the driving position is
spot-on.
Fiddly
buttons spoil dashboard; leather seats feel classy; boot space drops with roof
down
All Cascada have Bluetooth, a digital radio
and air-conditioning but you'll have to upgrade to the Elite model to get a
wind deflector as standard – it’s a $383 option on the SE-spec car. The
top-of-the-range version also adds heated leather seats, automatic high-beam
assist and climate control.
Like the Beetle and RS
, the
Cascada is a strict four-seater, but adults in the rear get a decent amount of
head and legroom. Plus, the large side windows mean it doesn't feel too
claustrophobic in the back when the roof is raised.
Elsewhere, the cabin is littered with
useful storage places, including a deep cubby in front of the gearlever for
mobile phones and portable music players.
The
large side windows mean it doesn't feel too claustrophobic in the back when the
roof is raised
Unusually for a fabric-roofed car, the
Vauxhall's boot capacity shrinks when the roof is lowered, with the available
space reducing from 380 liters to 280 liters. That’s only 30 liters more than
the cheaper VW Golf Convertible's Still, if you need to carry more, then you
can simply fold down the 50:50 split rear seats to increase the load capacity
to a maximum 750 liters.
The Cascada is offered with a number of
punchy petrol and diesel engines, but the entry-level 138bhp turbocharged
1.4-liters petrol suits the car's laid-back character. It's smooth and eager at
low revs, and is the perfect companion for lazy, roof-down cruses. However, the
smallest engine gets a little harsh and strained at high revs and needed 10.6
seconds to haul the heavyweight Cascada from 0-60mph.
The Vauxhall's relaxing personality extends
to the handling, which is safe and predictable – grip is strong, but there's
not much feedback through the major controls. The trade-off for this lack of
dynamic sparkle is a composed and supple ride, which does a good job of
shrugging off bumps and potholes – although you can feel and see the body
flexing over really rough roads.
Cascada
feels refined on the road, with little in the way of buffeting when top is down
Even without the wind deflector, there
isn't much buffeting with the top down, while the fierce heater helps you
enjoys the open air even on a chilly day. Road noise is well suppressed with
the roof raised; it's not as quiet as an Audi A5, but you can add the
triple-layer hood for an extra $450. Still, our entry-level test car undercuts
the base A5 by nearly $12,000.
Yet despite its price advantage, the
Cascada isn't a cut-price premium rival. It can't quite match the class leader
for cabin quality, while its driving dynamics are a little lackluster. It's
also hobbled by weak residual values and high CO2 emissions of
148g/km.
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Vauxhall
Cascada Technical Specs
·
Price: $35,992
·
Engine:
1.4-liter 4cyl, 138bhp
·
0-60mph: 10.6
seconds
·
Test economy:
33.8 mpg/7.4mpl
·
CO2:
148g/km
·
Annual road tax:
$210
·
Why? Vauxhall
continues its push upmarket with the new Cascada, which promise premium
quality at a high street price.
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