The Cascada burst onto the new car market in 2013, acting as the successor to the Astra TwinTop.

Vauxhall vows to compete with Audi and BMW with this drop top, claiming that the four-seat Cascada offers both a sporty drive and a lavish interior. It certainly impresses on the outside, with aesthetics that get more looks than you would think – even now, three years after its initial release.

The Cascada does seem to have aged quite rapidly however, with an interior that in need of an update, both to bring it in-line with its German competition, and up to speed with more recent Vauxhalls.

We tested the 168bhp 2.0-litre Elite model to see if it has still got what it takes to compete in a market with younger competition.

Performance

The 2.0-litre 168bhp diesel is a bit of a mixed bag. On one hand it feels quite sporty, with 400Nm of torque and a zero to 60mph sprint time of just 9.6 seconds. Drop a gear and power into a bend and you feel like you have a decent bit of kit at your fingertips.

However, running alongside this plentiful power is unruly refinement. Climb high up the rev range and you will hear the engine grumble loudly and vibrate through the steering wheel. The 2.0-litre diesel certainly feels pre Vauxhall’s ultra-refined whisper diesel era.

Thankfully, the six-speed manual gearbox is smooth through all six gears, with a very familiar feel to it, helping you focus on the engines pros, as opposed to its cons. You can’t help but yearn for one of the Cascada’s petrols though, which are plentiful, with 1.4-litre, 1.6-litre and 2.0-litre units offering power between 138bhp and 197bhp.

Ride and Handling

The ride is on the firm side though, which can make day-to-day driving over speed bumps and pot holes a bit tiresome – but that is part and parcel of having a car that feels sporty to drive.

The Cascada certainly isn’t short of character. The steering has a heavy, sports-orientated feel to it, the front suspension, which is shared with the Insignia VXR, helps dig the front-end into apexes and there is loads of grip on offer. You can get a bit of body shake at times and visibility is lacking out of the rear window, but these are common qualms associated with many convertibles. The ride is on the firm side though, which can make day-to-day driving over speed bumps and pot holes a bit tiresome – but that is part and parcel of having a car that feels sporty to drive. Its biggest let down is the lack of feel through the steering. Just when you think it is battle ready with its impressive control, the steering lacks feedback and finesse, which can have you guessing where the front wheels are pointing at times. Audis are guilty of this as well - BMWs less so. The convertible roof can be folded down in 17 seconds – although it takes 19 seconds to fold back up again. This can be done at speeds of up to 30mph, which makes quick-changing weather less of a nuisance. The roof is also strong enough to withstand the prodding rollers of the drive through car wash.

Interior and Equipment

Cascada means ‘waterfall’ in Spanish.

In terms of luxury, the Cascada ticks some vital boxes. There are numerous leather strips, plastic carbon fibre trims and glossy plastics dotted all over the cabin, giving an up-market saloon feel. Our model also had some figure-hugging leather sports seats, thanks to our optional £2,495 Premium Leather Pack. The leather seats are also heat-reflective, according to Vauxhall. The Elite trim, the flagship trim above entry-level SE, includes a plethora of tech including DAB radio, Bluetooth, Intellilink infotainment screen and iPod compatibility. There’s plenty of creature comforts as well, with dual-zone climate control, heated front seats, cruise control and rain-sensitive windscreen wipers. Sat-nav, unfortunately, only comes as an option, a rather pricey £1,200 option at that. There are also cool electronically-extending seatbelt-arms, which presents both driver and passenger with their seatbelts upon putting the key into the ignition – eliminating the need to stretch for them. Although there are plenty of interior qualities to suggest a premium feel, the layout of buttons in the cabin is desperately in need of a refresh. With a large cluster of buttons and toggles on the dashboard, the Cascada looks very similar to the previous-generation Astra and Insignia.    The cabin still manages to be quite practical though, with two cup holders in the centre console – which double up as a large storage compartment – and good-sized door bins, big enough for water bottles. Sitting in the back is a bit of a squeeze, both leg and headroom wise, which is a shame as there is a lot about the Cascada’s rear that is impressive. The two rear seats hem you in comfortably, there are two cup holders, there’s an arm rest on the door-side for added comfort and the rear windows let lots of light in. The boot has a rather practical 380 litres of space – but that’s with the roof up. Fold the roof into the boot and you lose 100 litres, due to the necessary drop down compartment to accommodate it. The rear seats do still fold down though, electronically in fact, thanks to buttons positioned in the boot. With the seats down you get 750 litres of storage space.

Cost

Although starting from around £25,000, the 168bhp 2.0-litre Elite model we had, which also had a few added extras, cost almost £34,000.

The 168bhp 2.0-litre diesel is the most efficient engine on offer in the Cascada, emitting 129g/km of CO2 and, realistically, you should be able to get an average of around 50mpg. Although those figures are the best in the Cascada range, they don’t quite compete with the most efficient derivatives offered by the Audi A3 Cabriolet and BMW 2 Series Convertible, which both offer CO2 figures around the 110g/km mark. With Vauxhall trying to compete against Audi and BMW, it has priced the Cascada appropriately – which is to say it’s around the same price. Although starting from around £25,000, the 168bhp 2.0-litre Elite model we had, which also had a few added extras, cost almost £34,000.

Our Verdict

The premium convertible market is a tough nut to crack. Housed within its walls are manufacturers that have sharpened their tools over the years and gained superior drop-top knowledge when it comes to class-leading performance, handling and interior quality. With the Cascada being a relatively new model, it is clear that there is room for improvement, but there is also a lot of potential. If Vauxhall want the Cascada to be a hit, then the steering and interior will need a revamp. If they get that right, then the Cascada could be in with a fighting chance.