Vauxhall commits to Cascada

Vauxhall has taken a “more committed line” with its Cascada, rejecting the “standard procedure” of taking a mid-size hatch and slicing it in half, says Top Gear. “The new Cascada shares not one exterior panel with any other Vauxhall. It’s wider than an Insignia, though a little shorter in the wheelbase in search of better proportions. A surprising amount of the interior is different, too. “It’s a bigger and plusher car than most of the beheaded hatches. The roof is fabric because that’s become the fashion again. It’s lighter than a folding hardtop, less space-consuming, and allows more design freedom.” There’s a brand new engine, too, which will be shared among the Vauxhall line-up. “It’s a 1.6-litre petrol, fashionably direct-injected and turbocharged. It’s agreeably dispensed, with broad-shouldered mid-rev torque and a quietly suave vocal croon.” Both steering and handling “do what you ask without any kind of fuss”, gliding along in “well judged suppleness”. Underneath, “there’s thorough bodywork stiffening to fight off the wobbles”. Top Gear, however, suggests drivers should just “get the roof down and enjoy what’s going on outside”.