Vauxhall Cascada review

The Cascada is a placid car, not an involving one. The steering is accurate but numb, the body free of flex, making it a car far less troubled by lumpy roads than a front-drive A5.

The ride's impressively supple. It takes the HiPerStrut suspension from the Insignia VXR, though with softer settings. The tracks are actually wider than the Insignia's, but the wheelbase is shorter.

Best engine of the range is an all-new 1.6 direct-injection turbo. Vauxhall has badly needed new mid-sized petrols for a while, and this is the first of the family. It's a stout low-down lugger, and spins sweetly - though in this tune, not gleefully - to its red line. It suits the Cascada's nature well: quiet, unassuming, but responsive. Not that quick, mind. Its 170bhp and eco-gearing are hampered by 1,660kg of heft.