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Opel Cascada close to getting green light for US

For a company with a long tradition of grand touring convertibles, it's almost unseemly that General Motors doesn't offer a properly relaxed four-seat convertible in North America. There's the Chevrolet Camaro, of course, but it's not big on rear-seat space and it doesn't offer that sort of serene demeanor that many open-air buyers crave. We're thinking of something more refined and, dare we say, elegant. Something a bit closer to the Opel Cascada.
The General's front-wheel drive convertible went on sale in Europe this year, and while it seemed like a natural fit for its Buick brand in America, it's never been sold here. That may be about to change, however. Back in June, CEO Dan Akerson hinted he'd like to see the Cascada available in the US, and now there's word from Edmunds that importation "could happen soon." That's according to an unnamed insider at the company.
It's almost unseemly that GM doesn't offer a relaxed four-seat convertible.

Buick tops in Consumer Reports' annual brand rankings

Buick is the first US-based automotive brand to crack the top 10 in Consumer Reports magazine's annual brand report cards. US automakers also placed three vehicles on the magazine's list of "top picks" for vehicles, the first time that's happened in 17 years. The rankings were unveiled Tuesday in the magazine's annual auto issue. Buick placed seventh in the brand rankings. But the brand rankings and top picks still were dominated by Japanese and German manufacturers, with Lexus, Mazda, Toyota, Audi and Subaru taking the top five brand spots. The magazine calculates each brand's overall score with a composite of its vehicles' road-test scores and reliability scores for each model in its annual survey of subscribers. It's the third year for the brand rankings. Porsche placed just ahead of Buick at number six, while Honda, Kia and BMW rounded out the top 10 brands. Mercedes-Benz, Acura and Infiniti all suffered precipitous declines in their rankings due to unreliable new models or poor road test scores. Mercedes fell out of the top 10 to 21st, while Acura dropped from number two to 11 with an unimpressive test of the new RLX sedan, the magazine said. In the model rankings, the top overall finisher was California-based Tesla's Model S electric car, for the second year in a row. The Model S, which cost the magazine $89,650, finished first due to its performance and technical innovations, the magazine said. Buick's Regal midsize car beat the BMW 328i as the top sports sedan, and the Chevrolet Impala was named the top large car. The model rankings show Consumer Reports' favorite among the 270 vehicles its team has recently tested. The rankings are closely watched in the auto industry, since shoppers consistently cite Consumer Reports as a main source of car-buying advice. Other top picks included the Subaru Impreza in the compact car category, Subaru Legacy in midsize cars, Toyota Prius as the best green car, Audi A6 luxury car, Subaru Forester small SUV, Toyota Highlander midsize SUV and the Honda Odyssey minivan. Japanese vehicles won six of 10 top pick categories, but that was the smallest number in the 19-year history of Consumer Reports top picks. "For years domestic automakers built lower-priced and lower-quality alternatives to imports, but those days are behind us," said Jake Fisher, the magazine's director of automotive testing. But other U.S.-based automakers still had problems.

Meet the Buick Velite 7, the Chevy Bolt's Chinese cousin

The Buick Velite 7 has officially been revealed after having been leaked and spied a few months ago. The name derives from Buick's line of electrified models it sells in China, of course the design shows it's most closely related to the Chevy Bolt EV. Buick hasn't revealed many details about it, and only one photo, but we do get to see it and we also have a range estimate. The range estimate is 500 kilometers on the NEDC cycle, which translates to 311 miles. That's actually less than the NEDC estimate for the Bolt EV, which is 565 kilometers or 351 miles, which increased for the 2020 model year from 520 kilometers or 323 miles. Of course NEDC figures tend to be much higher than EPA numbers, which rated the current Bolt EV at 259 miles and the previous version at 238. As such, we would expect this Buick to have an EPA range closer to 210 to 220 miles. We don't know what resulted in the lower range, but it could have something to do with additional weight or slightly worse aerodynamics. It could be both. Design-wise, the Buick is clearly based on the Bolt, but has a more aggressive front bumper and a trendy partially floating roof. It also seems to have a slightly boxier, taller profile, mainly because of the nose. Buick hasn't released any other details about the crossover, preferring to save them for the car's launch later this year. Since it seems so closely related to the Bolt, it probably has the same drivetrain: a single electric motor sending 200 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque to the front wheels via a single-speed transmission. Related Video: