Vauxhall

Cascada

The Vauxhall Cascada opens up a whole new market to fans of open-top motoring by providing a true four-seater rag-top at an affordable price. It boasts great looks, excellent technology and handling that doesn’t disappoint either.

The good

Looks, styling, performance and economy

The bad

British weather!

Tech Specs

Price from

£24,500

Combined Fuel up to

57.6mpg

0-62 from

9.2 seconds

max speed up to

146mph

co2 from

129g/km

Test Drive

Vauxhall Cascada 1.4 VVT Turbo 140PS Start/Stop

Take one quick glance at the gorgeous Cascada and you would bet your house on it being a product from one of the premium German marques.

But you’d be wrong because the striking soft top is produced by Vauxhall – the first four-seater open-top to be designed, engineered and manufactured by the company since the 1930s.

And it has been worth that long wait as the fabric-roof Cascada convertible is every inch a premium contender and is guaranteed to bring out the green-eyed monster in onlookers thanks to its beautiful lines, daytime running lights, 18-inch alloys, LED rear lights, body-coloured door mirrors and much, much more.

Once inside, it’s impossible not to be impressed with the premium feel to the Cascada – the main central control stack is very Volvo-esque with its V-shaped design and there are techno treats at every turn.

Creature comforts include air conditioning, rear parking sensors, a multi-function three-spoke leather steering wheel and cruise control.

There is a great audio system with CD player, digital radio, USB and iPod connectivity, plus front sports seats and a push-button roof operation.

The test car was fitted with some additional optional extras which bumped up the asking price from £23,995 to £25,980.

These included a sat nav system, front parking sensors, Bluetooth connectivity and specialist two-coat pearlescent paintwork, but even that price-tag with all the trimmings is still incredibly competitive compared to Audi or BMW models of a similar style.

The spacious interior can easily accommodate four adults in comfort although they will be limited on luggage as the boot also houses the fold-away roof. However folding rear seats do offer extra storage if needed.

But to be fair to the Cascada, it hasn’t exactly been designed for larger-than-life families who travel with their worldly goods. Instead, it has fun written all over it and certainly lives up to expectations.

During my week-long loan, a heat wave was sweeping across the UK which meant almost all my hours behind the wheel were completed with the roof down.

Okay, so it may mean enduring extra noise and the fumes in built-up traffic are not the greatest, but out on the open road nothing beats it.

And should Mother Nature throw a surprise shower in your direction, the roof can be closed in seconds at speeds up to 30mph.

The 1.4-litre petrol engine meant there was a constant supply of power on tap and the six-speed manual transmission was beautifully smooth.

Vauxhall has kitted out the Cascada with a vast range of top notch safety specifications such as anti-lock brakes, electronic stability programme, an active roll-over system, numerous airbags and plenty more besides.

Duncan Aldred, Vauxhall’s chairman and managing director, said: “The full-sized convertible sector tends only to be occupied by very high-priced cars from premium manufacturers. With Cascada, we’re offering customers high levels of equipment, technology and luxury but at an affordable price.”

And when you take into consideration the company’s 100,000-mile lifetime warranty, the Cascada gets more attractive by the minute.