Cascada

With the arrival of the Cascada, General Motors was able to offer its first convertible for the Australian market in ten years, following a false start in 2013 when it almost launched wearing Opel badges.

The four-seat rag-top offered a true wind-in-the-hair motoring experience at an attractive price even if it was not the most sporty option in the affordable convertible market.

A 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder Ecotec engine turned out a decent 125kW and 260Nm but a hefty 1744kg kerb weight kept performance figures at the more pedestrian end of the sportscar scale.

Its electrically operated roof took 17 seconds to open and could be operated at speeds of up to 50km/h, while 50 special limited Launch Edition versions were available with extra comfort features.