Buick Cascada Getting Axed, Will Be Missed By No One

The Opel Cascada is slated to go out of production later this year and Buick has finally confirmed its version of the car is also going away.

Even when Buick declined to confirm the Cascada’s death after Opel announced it was axing its version, it was clear that the Cascada was living on borrowed time. Thus, the announcement wasn’t too surprising.

“The Cascada has played its role in the portfolio perfectly, outselling many other premium convertibles while bringing in buyers from outside GM”, Buick told Autonews. They added that the model will be discontinued at the 2019 model year and dealers should have enough inventory to last them until then.

The Cascada was launched in early 2016 and became Buick’s first convertible in 25 years. Featuring a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder producing 200 hp (149 kW / 203 PS) and up to 221 lb-ft (300 Nm) of torque, the Cascada was billed as an affordable alternative to the Audi A3 Cabriolet.

Despite being cheaper than the Audi, the Cascada was far from a hit, and sales peaked at 7,153 units in 2016. They’ve fallen every year since then and Buick only managed to move 4,136 units in the United States last year.

While the Cascada wasn’t exactly an exciting model, it’s sad to see another convertible getting axed. Nevertheless, GM already offers a similarly priced, and much more enticing, drop top. It’s he t2019 Chevrolet Camaro Convertible, which starts at $32,495, while the Cascada retails for $33,995 (including destination fees). That isn’t much of a difference, but the Buick comes standard with leather upholstery, heated front seats and a 7-inch infotainment system with GPS navigation. Most buyers, though, are inevitably going to opt for the Camaro, so that’s that.

The death of the Cascada is the latest blow for Buick, as GM has already announced that North American production of the LaCrosse will cease on March 1st.