GM's Opel prices new Cascada convertible under $33,000
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GENEVA -- Opel/Vauxhall's new Cascada mid-sized convertible will be priced more than 14,000 euros ($18,200) less than potential rivals when it starts arriving at dealerships in April as the money-losing brand seeks to attract buyers looking for a cheaper alternative to premium convertibles.
The Cascada will start at 24,945 euros ($32,600) in Germany, compared with 39,250 euros for the entry Audi A5 convertible, the car Opel says is the Cascada's closest rival.
With the two-door, four-seat Cascada, which debuted today at the Geneva auto show, Opel hopes to attract buyers looking for a cheaper alternative to premium convertibles.
It's unclear if the model could find its way to North America, but GM's top executives appear to be considering it.
The Cascada is slightly longer the than the Audi A5 convertible. Like the Audi, the Cascada has a folding softtop roof. Opel says the roof that can be opened in 17 seconds at speeds up to 31 mph.
New Opel CEO Karl-Thomas Neumann said that the Cascada, which is Spanish for waterfall, returns the automaker to its roots. Opel used to offer mid-sized, four-seat softtop convertibles such as the Kapitaen and the Rekord in the 1950s and 1960s.
The Cascada will be offered at launch with Opel's new 1.6-liter turbocharged gasoline engine. A 2.0-liter diesel will follow soon after offering the most fuel efficient model in the Cascada lineup with CO2 emissions starting at 138g/km.
The Cascada is Opel's latest push into new product segments following the launches of the Adam minicar and Mokka small SUV. By 2015, the automaker plans to launch 23 new or refreshed models.
You can reach Douglas A. Bolduc at dbolduc@crain.com.
