Vauxhall Meriva

Don't be fooled by the badge... Flex appeal has hit the supermini market, and not surprisingly it's Vauxhall that's leading the way with its clever new Meriva MPV. Inspired by the seven-seat Zafira and on sale here from next spring, the five-seat Meriva is aimed at the Honda Jazz and Ford Fusion.

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By Tomas Hirschberger

August 2002

Rating:
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Don't be fooled by the badge... Flex appeal has hit the supermini market, and not surprisingly it's Vauxhall that's leading the way with its clever new Meriva MPV. Inspired by the seven-seat Zafira and on sale here from next spring, the five-seat Meriva is aimed at the Honda Jazz and Ford Fusion.

Driven here for the very first time, the Meriva has already been launched in Brazil and North America first, where it wears Chevrolet badges. The neatly styled supermini was originally unveiled at March's Geneva Motor Show, and offers excellent space and practicality. However, it's the cabin design that real-ly amazes; if you thought the seating set-up in the Vauxhall Zafira was clever, prepare to be astounded - the Meriva manages to go one better!

The innovative interior can transform from carrying a family of five to being a wagon-like single-seater in seconds. Yet thanks to the Meriva's FlexSpace concept, no chairs need to be removed to alter the layout. The stan-dard set-up accommodates five, but if you need to carry only four, the cabin can be modified to suit. Simply fold down the rear centre section and push the remaining chairs inwards and backwards to create more legroom.

From there, drivers can reduce the seating plan further to carry extra luggage, as chairs can be folded totally flat to provide a larger load area. And to suit the widest possible range of objects, this can be done in any order. Finally, if the front passenger seatback is pushed forward, Vauxhall reckons the load space from dashboard to boot lip is among the very longest in the class - enough even to take a surfboard!

Our pictures show how the system works, but there's no substitute for reaching inside and using it yourself. As with the Zafira, the set-up feels robust, but not overly heavy. Most of the seats can be converted using only one hand, and take mere seconds to drop into place. It's no exaggeration to say that the operation is a joy to watch! The hinges are hidden from view, but the chairs use so little room once stowed, it's hard to work out why you would ever need a large car again. A glance at the figures backs this up. With all the seats folded, the Meriva offers an astounding 1,300 litres of stowage space - nearly as much as a family estate such as the Renault Laguna.

In a nod to security, the Meriva also has a wide range of hidden cubbies. The largest is under the boot floor, but there's also space under the driver's seat as well as a lockable glovebox, plus deep door pockets front and rear. Sat behind the wheel, you're very conscious of exactly how much space Vauxhall has squeezed from the Meriva's relatively compact dimensions. Based on the Corsa's floorpan, it measures 4,068mm in length, 238mm more than Honda's Jazz, so it's big for its class. However, it doesn't seem that way on the road.

Our test car, with its US-spec 1.8-litre 100bhp engine, felt responsive and easy to drive. Despite the box-like dimensions the bodyshell is obviously very stiff, and there's no noticeable shake. The brakes are powerful, the steering relatively precise and the suspension supple, but this will be modified for further improvement by the time the car arrives in Europe.

Equipment should be generous, and drivers can expect air-con and trip computers fitted as standard in all but base machines. Engines will start with a 1.4-litre 90bhp petrol unit, and be topped with a 1.8 offering 123bhp. A 74bhp turbodiesel will also be available. A high-performance Meriva is in the pipeline, too, powered by a detuned edition of the 170bhp turbo expected in the Corsa GSi. None of this is expected to come cheap, however. Entry-level models are likely to cost at least ΂£11,000, with flagship editions priced from around ΂£15,000. That's a lot of money in this sector, and means the newcomer has to make a real impact at its launch. Yet our early taste of the Meriva suggests the baby Vauxhall has every chance of making it big! Few cars we have driven have impressed us as much.

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