It's the great irony of introducing a convertible in Detroit – while the assembled media might look at the car and imagine warm weather and clear skies, the atmosphere outside is anything but. Such was the case Sunday as Buick rolled out the 2016 Cascada in Detroit's Eastern Market. Snow didn't dampen the atmosphere, though, as we clapped eyes on the sleek, Astra-based convertible for the first time.

While this is far from the first product Buick has borrowed from General Motors' European operations, unlike previous vehicles, changes for the Cascada were kept to a minimum. There is no waterfall grille or four-way portholes, which Buick was sure to install when converting the Insignia and Mokka to the Regal and Encore. Then again, neither of these styling treatments were really necessary, as the Cascada remains a handsome and stylish offering.

Its cabin is typical of other Buicks, and features a few too many buttons on the center stack. Still, a thick-rimmed, flat-bottomed steering wheel, similar to what's found in the Verano, is both attractive and functional, while the perforated leather seats looks quite comfortable, as well.

Take a look at our gallery of live images, which includes shots of the Cascada with the top up and down, and then head back to our original post on the new convertible for all the mechanical details.

There is no waterfall grille or four-way portholes, which Buick was sure to install when converting the Insignia and Mokka to the Regal and Encore. Then again, neither of these styling treatments were really necessary, as the Cascada remains a handsome and stylish offering.

The Opel Cascada is truly becoming a global vehicle. After its debut at the Detroit Auto Show as a Buick, GM reconfirmed that the convertible will be sold with the Holden badge starting this year.

As announced in 2014, the Holden Cascada will arrive later this year in Australia and New Zealand, joined by other rebadged Opel products - the Holden Astra GTC, Holden Astra VXR and Holden Insignia VXR.

“This makes the Cascada a convertible triplet on three continents – a very nice compliment and even more proof of the appeal of our large convertible,” said Opel Group CEO Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann.

Of course, Buick is no stranger to such practices, having adopted Opel products for a long time. The US brand currently sells the Encore (Opel Mokka), Verano (Opel Astra sedan) and Regal (Opel Insignia).

The Buick Cascada will therefore be the fourth Opel model sold in the US when it launches there in first quarter next year. And the trend will continue, with GM announcing last year that a new Buick model will be built by Opel at its main plant in Rüsselsheim later in the decade.

Developed in Germany at Opel’s International Technical Development Center in Rüsselsheim, the Cascada is built in Poland, at the Gliwice plant. As a result of the upcoming exports to the United States, Australia and New Zealand, the Polish plant will increase production, Neumann said.

In the United States, the Buick Cascada will be offered with the 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline engine producing 200hp and 300Nm (221lb-ft) of torque, mated to a six-speed automatic transmission.

GM and Ford are stopping production in Australia because they can make cars cheaper elsewhere. The market in Australia isn't big enough for them to have factories there, or so that's the line from GM and Ford.

The 2016 Buick Cascada may look familiar to Europeans, but it's something the American brand hasn't seen in a long time: a halo car (of sorts).

And what a pretty halo it is. Aside from the 20-inch wheels that I'm not particularly fond of, the transition from Opel to Buick didn't change a whole lot, and that's for the better. At a time when cars look angry for the sake of being sporty, the relaxed look of the Cascada is somewhat refreshing. It's a nice car. Does anyone still buy nice cars?

In Europe, Opel targets the Audi A5 Convertible as its prime competition, but in the U.S., it's likely Buick dealers will target people looking at an Audi A3 Convertible. By extension, they should include the similarly sized and priced BMW 228i Convertible. Both of those cars offer optional all-wheel drive, so that means the Cascada will be a non-starter for New Englanders looking for a year-round car.

Buick can't expect to charge quite as much as the A3's $35,600 starting price, even if it offers more standard horsepower and equipment – the lure of the four rings is inexplicably strong. But the A3 also has a different personality. It's more modern-looking car in a clean-cut, professional way. It's for people who look good all of the time, or at least insist on making an effort before being seen in public. That's just not every convertible buyer.

The Cascada shouldn't be quite that demanding of its owners. It's a car for people who want to lower the top and drive a convertible in a relaxed way. It doesn't matter it has "only" 200 horsepower, all it needs is to be comfortable going 37 mph.

The Cascada isn't for people who buy Mustang or Camaro convertibles, even V6 ones. Those imply sportiness. The Cascada does fall into a space the old Chrysler Sebring and 200 convertibles used to occupy, although without the same Florida rental special implications. For most of the enthusiasts reading this, the Cascada will be too slow or too laid back or too... nice.

Sorry, but when I look at this car that's the first word that keeps coming to mind. And nice is by no means bad.