It’s all go at Vauxhall. In the past 12 months this company has launched three new models.

We’ve had the electric Ampera, the chunky SUV Mokka and the stylish, cool Adam, all with dramatic effect.

Now here’s the fourth, Cascada, a full four-seater cabriolet which is Vauxhall’s classiest new car for years. In fact, I don’t think any previous Vauxhall has scaled these heights before.

Arriving in showrooms now, Cascada represents a departure for the brand which has until now been largely satisfied with what you might term real-world cars for real-world people.

Cascada is much, much more of a premium product and is likely to tempt Audi and Mercedes-Benz customers as Ford or Peugeot drivers.Essentially, it’s a classic cabriolet which costs from £23,995. It looks good with the hood down and just as elegant with the hood up, and the process of raising or lowering takes 17 seconds.

It’s Vauxhall’s first venture into the full-size cabrio market since, would you believe, the 1930s and it shows how high confidence is at the company that such a model should even be considered, let alone launched.

So, what exactly do you get for your money? Well, it’s smart and very well equipped. An all-new 1.6 litre turbocharged petrol engine heads the range with a 1.4 petrol and 2.0 turbo diesel also on offer. A high-performance 2.0 litre petrol unit follows soon after launch.

Innovative features include cameras to help with parking and Nappa leather, yet the car still costs almost £8,000 less than its nearest rival, Audi A5 cabriolet.

At nearly 4.7 metres in length, the full size, four-seat, fabric-roof Cascada convertible is longer than an Audi A5.

While the Cascada shares its dimensions with some full-sized convertibles, Vauxhall is positioning it in the C-sector due to its highly competitive pricing. The C-segment accounts for approximately one per cent of the total UK car market or around 21,000 sales a year and Vauxhall expects the Cascada to make up ten per cent of this segment’s volume.

Based on price, the Cascada’s key competitors include the Volkswagen Eos and Golf Cabriolet, the BMW 1 Series Convertible and the Audi A3 Cabriolet. Vauxhall’s latest offering is also longer than many other rival convertibles including premium offerings such as the Audi A5 Cabriolet and the BMW 3-Series Convertible.

It’s fair to say that Cascada is both refined and elegant to look at and that theme continues on the open road. It’s quite a big car, yet it feels lithe and nimble. It’s also obvious that this model will make us re-think our perceptions of Vauxhall.

Cascada’s design team, originally headed by Brit Mark Adams, has created a car with classic lines, redolent of the Grandes Routieres (luxury touring cars) of a bygone age, matched with a capacious cabin and high-quality materials.

Unusually, for a convertible it looks good with the hood up or down. Many other convertibles only appear attractive with the roof off.

The Cascada’s cabin mixes the well-equipped functionality of an Insignia’s interior with handcrafted modules not found in any other Vauxhall an ‘Easy Entry’ system allows access to the rear seats, and electric seat belt presenters make securing front occupants less of a chore.

With load volume of 280 litres with the roof down, and up to 380 litres roof up, Cascada is a practical convertible.

With Ampera, Mokka, Adam and now Cascada, whatever will Vauxhall come up with next?

Vauxhall Cascada SE 1.4 Turbo PRICE: £23,995. Entry level for range which costs up to £29,115 ENGINE: A 1.4 litre turbocharged unit generating 140ps via front wheel drive PERFORMANCE: Top speed 129mph, 0 to 60mph in 10.2 seconds COSTS: town 36.2mpg; country 52.3mpg; combined 44.8mpg INSURANCE: To be announced EMISSIONS: 148g/km WARRANTY: 100,000 unlimited mileage guarantee