Vauxhall Meriva   Women's view

June Neary Applauds Vauxhalls Take On The Supermini MPV The Meriva

At first I was more than a little sceptical concerning Vauxhalls claim for the Meriva. Yes, Id seen the adverts and read the marketing spiel but was still unconvinced that a car this small could offer anything that a slightly larger family hatchback couldnt. The rounded shape I could get on with and the cars unthreatening nature endeared it to me straight away but I couldnt shake this nagging suspicion that the marketing department were stringing us a line concerning the cars real world versatility. Time to put those claims to the test.

The Merivas based on a Corsa chassis, making it a good deal smaller than its big brother the Zafira, which rides on Astra mechanicals. At 4042mm in total length, its still a tad shorter than an Astra, but with its wheel at each corner stance and its high roofline, the General Motors designers responsible for the Meriva have been able to create an interior thats supremely spacious. As with any vehicle that touts itself as some sort of MPV, the Meriva stands or falls on more practical considerations such as interior space, the ingenuity of its seating system, passenger access and overall comfort. Its here that the Meriva comes up trumps.

Just as Vauxhall aced the opposition with the Zafiras Flex7 seating system, the Meriva aims to do likewise with its less snappily titled FlexSpace arrangement. With five seats to play with, the Meriva doesnt have as many tricks up its sleeve as the Zafira, but youll still be able to wow your passengers with a few deft flicks of the wrist. It seems the marketing hype may well be justified. Most of the time, the Meriva functions as a conventional five seat supermini-MPV, but many of us have tried travelling five up in cars like these and it can feel a bit of a pinch.

The Meriva goes some way to alleviating the problem by offering one of the widest rear passenger shoulder width measurements in its class, but the real benefit comes when travelling with four rather than five aboard. The centre seat can fold flat into the footwell, leaving the two remaining seats at liberty to slide independently, not only backwards and forwards, but also on runners from side to side. This makes the Meriva feel extremely spacious indeed. But why stop at four? Vauxhall have equipped the Meriva with the capacity for all of the passenger seats to fold flat, freeing up an enormous 1,300 litres of available space.

Even with the rear seats in position, theres a creditable 560 litres available. The innovations dont stop there. Twin Audio is a first for a car of the Merivas class, allowing rear passengers to listen to radio and CD independently from the front passengers using headphones. Other convenience features include front seat backs with airline-style fold-down tray tables, seat back net storage, a removable travel box with arm rest and cup holders for rear seat passengers and, most usefully of all, a tray beneath the boot floor in which to hide valuables.

The interior is a welcome surprise too, Vauxhall eschewing the easy option of simply planting the Corsa dashboard into the Meriva, instead opting for a Vectra-style fascia which gives the little Meriva a quality feel. Indeed, ahead of its launch, the British Institute of Vehicle Engineers bestowed the MPV Design Award upon the Meriva, praising its crisp exterior styling. The current model has been subjected to a facelift since then and the quality of the materials used inside has improved. Twin electrically operated sunroofs add an airy feel to the interior, but its the attention to detail that is particularly impressive.

The fuel filler cap houses a small tool for the tyre valve caps that equals clean hands and easy access when checking pressures.

Four petrol engines are offered along with a pair of CDTi oil-burners. The first diesel engine and the one likely to prove most popular is the 1.3-litre CDTi, already found in the Corsa and the Tigra. The key figure to bear in mind here is 57mpg, the figure this Meriva can achieve on the combined cycle.

On a longer run it will nudge closer to 66mpg. Even in stop start city traffic, the figure will rarely dip much below 42mpg. Vauxhall reckon that when compared to a petrol version, a motorist covering 12,000 miles a year will save around £10,495 if they opt for the CDTi diesel car. If you want more power, you can upgrade to the 1.

7-litre CDTi. Its not particularly rapid, but this cars raison detre is offering family practicality and not costing the earth while doing so. Suffice to say that the diesel engines have enough low down pull to make zipping onto a roundabout or out of a side street hassle free. If youre not sold on the prospect of a diesel supermini MPV, Vauxhall also have a petrol model thats well worthy of consideration.

The 1.6-litre 104bhp Twinport petrol engine features 5bhp more than the outgoing Meriva 1.6-litre unit and is both zippier and more frugal, having a top speed of 112mph and a combined economy figure of 42.2mpg.

Vauxhall claim this represents a six per cent improvement over the old car. Sitting below this is a 1.4-litre Twinport offering which acts as the entry-level point in the range. Theres also a 1.

8-litre petrol unit with 125bhp and a VXR powered by 180bhp worth of 1.6-litre turbo engine.

Another appealing factor in the Merivas favour is the price, more comfortably within the family budget than the larger alternatives. Youll pay from £10,495 for the 89bhp 1.4-litre version and £12,395 for the more powerful 1.6-litre 16-valve version.



Although keen drivers may find the Meriva a little soft for their liking, the majority if customers will appreciate its family friendly approach. The seating system may not be quite as clever as the Flex7 system in the Zafira but it still manages to knock spots off its direct rivals. Although Im still wondering what two eight year old lads would want a leggy blonde for, Im not harbouring any doubts about the Meriva as a product. For once the hype is justified.