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THE CAR WITH FLEX APPEAL

Models Covered: (5dr supermini-MPV 1.4, 1.6, 1.8 petrol, 1.7 DTi diesel, 1.7 CDTi diesel [Expression, Life, Enjoy, Design])

BY ANDY ENRIGHT

Vauxhall has had to put up with a fair degree of mud slinging down the years, most of which suggested that under General Motors, the company had become so bureaucratic that it could no longer respond to rapidly changing markets in an adequately timely fashion. In more recent years, that line of argument has begun to look increasingly shaky, thanks to the introduction of a whole range of niche-orientated more versatile vehicles. First the Zafira mini-MPV offered the cleverest seating system known to man and then the Meriva supermini-MPV arrived to offer much of this utility in an even smaller package. With these two models on board, Vauxhall’s more conventional passenger cars were able to become sleeker and more stylish – two attributes that had rarely been levelled at Astras and Corsas. Everyone was a winner. But why buy something conventional when you could have something really rather clever? Something like a used Vauxhall Meriva for instance. With examples now beginning to appear on the market in meaningful numbers, a nearly new model offers all the technology at a fraction of the price.

There’s a lot more to the Meriva than meets the eye. Many expected a sort of inflated Vauxhall Corsa but despite being broadly Corsa-based, the Meriva seems more than the sum of its parts. Introduced in May 2003, the car was an instant success, if not revolutionising the market in quite the same fashion as its Zafira big brother. Instead it capitalised on the perceived weakness of Ford‘s offering in this sector, the Fusion, and arrived at a time when Renault had no model to speak of (the Modus only residing on a designer’s CAD station at the time). Peugeot could only offer the half-baked 206SW, MG Rover drew a blank and Fiat’s Idea was still forming in the Italian manufacturer’s mind. In short, the Meriva had a virtually unchallenged run of it at first. Four engines were offered, 8v and 16v 1.6-litre units and a 1.8-litre petrol powerplant and the pick of the crop, the 1.7-litre CDTi diesel. Four trim levels were offered - the rather cheesily titled Expression, Life, Enjoy and Design. An early 2006 facelift which amounted to reprofiled bumpers, a V-shaped Vauxhall grille, dark lenses for the rear light clusters and a chrome bar running across the tailgate also yielded two new engines. A 1.6-litre Twinport petrol unit and a 1.3-litre CDTi were introduced to bolster the range. Shortly afterwards, the high-performance VXR model arrived with a 180bhp 1.6-litre turbo engine.

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. It’s here that the Meriva comes up trumps. Just as Vauxhall aced the opposition with the Zafira’s Flex7 seating system, the Meriva aims to do likewise with its less snappily titled FlexSpace arrangement. With five seats to play with, the Meriva doesn’t have as many tricks up its sleeve as the Zafira, but you’ll still be able to wow your passengers with a few deft flicks of the wrist. 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, there’s a creditable 560 litres available. The innovations don’t stop there. Twin Audio is a first for a car of the Meriva’s 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’. Twin electrically operated sunroofs add an airy feel to the interior, but it’s 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.

The Meriva isn’t in short supply and a bit of hard haggling should see you land an 03 plated 1.6-litre 8v Life model for little more than £6,500. Many will feel the lustier 16v model is worth the premium and you’ll need at least £6,600 for one of these. The 1.8-litre car is the liveliest of the lot and these start at £7,100 while you’ll need around £6,200 to land an early 04 plated Meriva Life 1.7 CDTi diesel. Insurance is as friendly as the car itself, ranging between Groups 3E and 7E.

The Meriva hasn’t been around for too long and few problems have surfaced. Given that the mechanicals are largely Corsa sourced it’s unlikely that many will either. As with any car that is used to transport families around, check for damage wreaked by youngsters, including broken fittings, rips or stains on the upholstery and scratched plastics. Also ensure that all of the seats fold away smoothly, as it’s easy for dropped items of food or small toys to jam the runners. Otherwise check for the service record and look forward to buying a very capable car.

(Based on a 1.6-litre 8v Life) Nothing too scary here. A new clutch will cost you about £110 and a full exhaust system around £350. An alternator is about £125 and a starter motor around £100. A radiator is about £115 and a replacement windscreen close to £145. A tail lamp is about £65 and a headlamp about £90.

Most buyers will opt for one of the 1.6-litre models. Whereas the eight-valve models will return a creditable average of 36.2mpg, the multivalve model eclipses it by eking 37.6mpg out of every gallon of 95RON unleaded. Although the Meriva will primarily be purchased by private, family oriented customers, any business users would also be attracted to the fact that the sixteen-valve car emits less carbon dioxide (179 vs 187g/km), thus lopping a significant two per cent from its benefit in kind taxation and making it a far cheaper option to run. The 200 cubic centimetres that the Meriva’s 1.8 holds over the lesser 1.6-litre units in terms of engine capacity don’t transform the car into a fire-breathing monster but with a 10.9-second time for the 0-60mph sprint compared to 14s in the entry level 16-litre 8-valve, they do help it pick up its heels a bit. If you go for the 1.6-litre with 16-valves, 0-60mph takes 12.9 seconds while the 1.7-litre CDTi can do the same in 13.4s, so the 1.8 is comfortably the most rapid Meriva on the market, bar none. With 125bhp on tap it can also reach a top speed of 118mph where conditions allow and the engine produces decent torque for in-gear exploits, even though it’s not as flexible as the gutsy CDTi diesels. The Meriva inherits a good chassis from its Corsa sister vehicle and it copes with the power of the 1.8-litre unit well. It is a car that you can have fun driving but don’t expect miracles. It’s still ostensibly a high-sided MPV.

Vauxhall caught the rest of the market on the hop with the Meriva, and as such it’s now around in such numbers on the used market that it’s easier to land your choice of engine, colour and trim. We’d opt either for an early 1.6-litre 16v model or a later 1.7-litre CDTi diesel. Whichever model you choose, you can rest assured that you’ve bought one of the best cars in the class.

CHEAP, CHUNKY AND CHEERFUL
With A Sweet 1.3-Litre Diesel Engine, Vauxhall’s Revised Meriva Offers A Welcome Alternative To A Supermini. Andy Enright Drives It…

Predicting how a car will turn out so often proves a fool’s errand. High hopes often lead to crashing disappointments and just occasionally a gem will turn up when you were expecting very little. Vauxhall’s Meriva has been with us a while now and the launch of a facelifted version also saw the introduction of a 1.3 CDTi diesel engine slotted into this supermini-MPV’s snub nose. It’s not a car that promises a whole lot but it delivers plenty.

The facelift is moderately successful. Attempting to graft the sleek front end of an Astra onto a model that more closely resembles the shape of a Maris Piper was always going to be a big ask and to be honest, the old model has a cleaner, more cohesive look. Elsewhere the update is more successful, especially at the rear end where the darkened high-mounted tail lights serve to give a widening effect to the rear window. A chrome strip across the rear also acts as a neat detail and has the added benefit of providing a rude retaliation to anybody following with main beam lights on. The interior has been tweaked in a few key areas as well with a wider selection of trims, some rather unconvincing carbon-fibre effect inlays on the instrument panel and doors, and a welcome splash of chrome on the dials, door pulls, hand brake lever and gear shifter. New instrument graphics are also introduced. The fascia is still generically Vauxhall with excellent build quality but not a whole lot in the way of slick design. Everything works and works well but aesthetes will prefer to shop elsewhere. That said, the Meriva is a car that typical buyers will put to work rather than keep as a show pony. That’s why the interior fittings are chunky and hardwearing, Vauxhall realising that the rear seat target audience can reduce flimsy fitments to plastic shrapnel in minutes. The seating system is far easier to figure than that of the Meriva’s big brother, the Zafira, and no less ingenious. Instead of being a dumbed down version of the Flex7 system featured in the larger car, the Meriva’s FlexSpace arrangement offers a quick and easy switch between one, two, three, four and five seats. The five to four seat quick change routine is especially impressive. Fold the centre seat forward, pull a lever on the front of one of the outer berths and you’ll be able to slide the seat back and inwards, offering at the same time more elbow and legroom for four occupants. I must admit to a snort of ridicule at Vauxhall’s hyperbole that in four seat guise the Meriva has the rear legroom of a limousine and, having travelled in a limo that featured a wet bar and hot tub, that claim is some way wide of the mark but there’s still plenty of knee room for me and I’m 6’4". Even with the tray tables folded down, it’s in no way claustrophobic.

"If you rack up enough miles and like the diesel’s urge, then this Meriva could make sense"

The big draw in this instance, however, is that ingenious 1.3-litre diesel engine. Even when testing this Meriva back to back with its 1.6-litre TWINPORT and 180bhp VXR siblings, this was the engine that stood out as The One To Choose. Why? It’s just the most useable of the bunch. Whereas the 1.6-litre lump adds more power and increases its economy figure, it’s still only good for an average of 42.5mpg which in this rarefied class, isn’t actually that great. Opt instead for the diesel and you get superior torque plus far better fuel economy at 57mpg. The 98mph top speed isn’t anything to write home about but the refinement certainly is. The 1.3-litre CDTi engine is derived from a General Motors/Fiat Multijet design. The Multijet system takes the idea of pilot injection – squirting a small amount of fuel into the cylinder to ‘prime’ the combustion chamber for the main ignition process – and refines it still further. In this instance, the main injection is divided into a series of smaller injections, allowing smoother, more gradual combustion that utilises fuel more efficiently. The electronic control units, therefore, have to be astonishingly precise. Whereas with a more conventional Unijet system the time lag between injections was a relatively yawning 1,500 microseconds, the response time has been slashed by a factor of 10. A variable geometry turbocharger and a rise in the pressure of the direct injection system have raised the power available to 70bhp for the 1.3-litre we look at here. As you’d expect, this engine complies with stringent EURO4 emissions regulations: that means three per cent knocked off benefit-in-kind taxation for company users. The Meriva itself is based on a Corsa platform, making it a good deal smaller than a Zafira, which rides on Astra mechanicals. At 4,042mm in total length, its still a tad shorter than an Astra but, with its wheel at each corner stance and it’s high roofline, the General Motors designers responsible for the Meriva have been able to create an interior that’s 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. It’s here that the Meriva comes up trumps. Vauxhall have cleverly built a lot of big-car features into the Meriva but have done so in a way that doesn’t radically bump up the asking price. Take the Adaptive Forward Lighting system as an example. Many executive cars now feature this kind of facility whereby the headlamps angle their beams according to speed and steering input, effectively lighting the way round a corner. The difference here is that the Meriva uses a conventional halogen light setup to keep costs manageable instead of the fiendishly expensive xenon units. Other convenient features include a power release tailgate and interior lighting that can be operated from the keyfob, showing the way to the car in a dark parking lot. An optional Bluetooth interface is also available so that you can hook your mobile up hands free. Vauxhall are in something of a quandary at the moment insofar as their best cars are often the ones nobody pays much attention to and the Meriva 1.3 CDTi is a case in point. Although the VXR will get all the column inches, it’s this model that makes the most sense and is the fittest for task. The facelift is only moderately successful but there’s not a whole lot wrong with the engineering under that tiny bonnet. If you’ve got a small family and need something that’s economical and hassle free, here’s what to buy.

Facts At A Glance CAR: Vauxhall Meriva 1.3 CDTi PRICES: £11,275-£14,730 – on the road INSURANCE GROUPS: 3-5 CO2 EMISSIONS: 119g/km PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 13.5s / Max Speed 102mph FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 64mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front airbags, ABS with EBD WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height mm 4042/1694/1624

SPACE IN YOUR FACE
With a modern common rail diesel engine, the Meriva CDTi shows just how far small family cars have come. Andy Enright reports

Cast your mind back to motoring, say, fifteen years ago. Those with a small family had the choice of packing their offspring and luggage into something tiny, opting for a boring hatchback or bending the budget by splashing out on a lumbering family saloon. From Vauxhall’s perspective, the Nova/Astra/Cavalier conveyor belt worked only because there was little alternative. Fortunately, more recent niche marketing techniques have seen this broad brush approach consigned to history and Vauxhall in particular have moved astonishingly swiftly for such a large company. Take the Meriva, a small car that lives big, featured here with a clever common rail diesel engine. This CDTi model offers an insight into how far we’ve come in fifteen years.

The engine itself is an astounding achievement. With 100bhp on tap, it’s more than enough to give this supermini-MPV a respectable turn of pace but more importantly, it promises super-low fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. The engine complies with stringent Euro4 emissions regulations which means a three per cent discount in benefit-in-kind taxation for company users. Mind you, it’s unlikely that too many fleet managers will consider the Meriva. This is a family friendly car that makes a lot of financial sense to the fleet manager at the head of any household. Expect to average over 51mpg yet the Meriva 1.7CDTi will accelerate to 60mph in a reasonable 13 seconds and top out at 109mph. A full 177lb/ft of torque makes the Meriva feel muscular through the gears and the engine is pleasantly refined. This is because the high pressure injection system can exercise greater control over the fuel delivery which means that the combustion process is smoother, fuel economy is improved and emissions are reduced. An electronic on-board diagnosis computer permanently monitors the engine’s emissions performance, tuning the combustion process to offer optimum cleanliness. You’ll feel the benefits of the CDTi engine right from the moment you turn the key. Whereas old Vauxhall direct injection engines felt potent but a little crude, this diesel feels a good deal more urbane, but has the requisite acceleration in the midrange that’s the mark of a decent diesel. To say that a great deal was expected of the Vauxhall Meriva has to be something of an understatement. It’s big brother, the Zafira, rewrote the rulebook for mini-MPVs when it was launched back in 1999, offering seven seats when everyone else was packing five. Ford and Volkswagen were forced to head back to the drawing board with their designs, buying Vauxhall a few years breathing space. The Meriva has been achieving similar success in the supermini-MPV sector.

"177lb/ft of torque makes the Meriva feel about as muscular as a V6 Mercedes E240 through the gears "

To date, this market segment hasn’t been the most dynamic, yet it shows great potential for growth. Oddball Japanese supermini-MPVs like the Daihatsu Move failed to capture the British public’s imagination, and Vauxhall’s take on the Suzuki Wagon-R, the Agila, also enjoyed only modest success. Cars like the Ford Fusion and Honda Jazz offer certain MPV-style utility features but still have one foot rooted in the comfortable familiarity of the mainstream supermini market. The Meriva is cut from very different cloth, as are key rivals like the Renault Modus, the Peugeot 1007 and the Fiat Idea. It’s based on a Corsa platform, making it a good deal smaller than a Zafira, which rides on Astra mechanicals. At 4,042mm in total length, its still a tad shorter than an Astra, but with its wheel at each corner stance and it’s high roofline, the General Motors designers responsible for the Meriva have been able to create an interior that’s supremely spacious. Trim levels run through Expression, Life, Club and Design to the mighty VXR – yes, Vauxhall do offer a high-performance supermini MPV. The current Meriva models can be picked out by the Vauxhall trademark V-shaped grille set in a reprofiled front bumper along with dark lens rear light clusters and a thick chrome strip across the tailgate. They have also benefited from some interior trim upgrades. 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. It’s here that the Meriva comes up trumps. Just as Vauxhall aced the opposition with the Zafira’s Flex7 seating system, the Meriva aims to do likewise with its less snappily titled FlexSpace arrangement. With five seats to play with, the Meriva doesn’t have as many tricks up its sleeve as the Zafira, but you’ll still be able to wow your passengers with a few deft flicks of the wrist. 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, there’s a creditable 560 litres available. With a wheelbase barely two and a half inches shorter than a Vauxhall Zafira, the Meriva demands few compromises on its occupants. The 1.7-litre CDTi engine rounds off a very competent package and although it may not be the most exciting car in its class, it might just be the cleverest. For a snapshot of current state of the art compact family motoring, look no further.

Facts At A Glance CAR: Vauxhall Meriva 1.7 CDTi range PRICES: £13,730- £15,685 – on the road INSURANCE GROUPS: 5-6 CO2 EMISSIONS: 135g/km PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 109mph / 0-60mph 13s FUEL CONSUMPTION: (average) 51.4mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front airbags, ABS with EBD WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height mm 4042/1694/1624

MERI MELODIES
Vauxhall’s big selling Meriva range has been given a thorough going over in recent times. Andy Enright assesses the work in progress…

Some manufacturers make a great deal of fuss about cars that few of us really deign to purchase. They’ll issue tonnes of press releases, myriad tiny revisions and attempt futile publicity stunts in a desperate bid to get their mediocre product noticed. Others will bring a very good car to market and leave it to the public to figure out how good it is. Such is the case with the Vauxhall Meriva, a supermini MPV that’s quietly gone about racking up some very respectable sales. Introduced in Spring 2003, the Meriva has in recent times been treated to a facelift and a few tweaks across the model line up to keep it at the top of its game.

The first change is rather predictable. Take a look at any modern Vauxhall and they’ll all wear a very prominent V-shaped front grille and this frontal treatment works its way onto the Meriva along with a reprofiled bumper. Move to the rear end and the Meriva gets dark rear lamp lenses and a chromed strip across the tailgate. Drivers following you with their main beam lights on will get a nasty surprise! Vauxhall have widened the colour palette for exterior paint finishes and have also unveiled some interesting alloy wheel designs for the latest car. The interior has had a mild makeover too with additional chrome detailing lifting the rather sombre cabin. Revised fabrics are both more attractive and harder wearing. Prices start at £10,780 and 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 £420 if they opt for the CDTi diesel car.

"Whichever way you care to look at it, Vauxhall has a winner on its hands in the chunky shape of the Meriva"

If you want more power, you can upgrade to the 1.7-litre CDTi. It’s not particularly rapid, but this car’s raison d’etre 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 you’re not sold on the prospect of a diesel supermini MPV, Vauxhall also have a petrol model that’s 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. In case you were wondering, Twinport technology builds on the standard four-valve technology of Vauxhall’s ECOTEC engines. Fuel savings are achieved by a special intake manifold in combination with a high rate of exhaust gas recirculation. The advantages of twinport technology are achieved through a combination of fuel injection and exhaust emission control by a three-way catalytic converter. This reduces technical complexity and consequently the cost to the customer, making the Twinport solution particularly attractive for inexpensive cars like this, as power output and efficient fuel consumption are maintained. The Meriva’s 125bhp 1.8-litre engine is less advanced than the Twinport contingent but it’s pretty quick and suitable for buyers who can’t stretch to the range-topper. The last model in the updated Meriva line up is one that is unconventional to say the least. The Meriva VXR features a 179bhp turbocharged 1.6-litre engine that’s also been developed for the Corsa VXR. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that this sort of power in a car this small equals serious fireworks. Whether there’s a market for a model like this remains to be seen, but hats off to Vauxhall for making the investment to find out. Vauxhall have cleverly built a lot of big-car features into the Meriva but have done so in a way that doesn’t radically bump up the asking price. Take the Adaptive Forward Lighting system as an example. Many executive cars now feature this kind of facility whereby the headlamps angle their beams according to speed and steering input, effectively lighting the way round a corner. The difference here is that the Meriva uses a conventional halogen light setup to keep costs manageable instead of the fiendishly expensive xenon units. Other convenient features include a power release tailgate and interior lighting that can be operated from the keyfob, showing the way to the car in a dark parking lot. An optional Bluetooth interface is also available so that you can hook your mobile up hands free. Although the details have been finessed, the fundamentals haven’t changed. The Meriva’s based on an old-shape Corsa platform, making it a good deal smaller than a Zafira, which rides on Astra mechanicals. At 4,042mm in total length, it’s 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 that’s supremely spacious. 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, there’s a creditable 560 litres available. We recognised the Meriva as a winner the day it was first unveiled and it’s still a real favourite of ours. The latest set of changes only reinforce that belief. Vauxhall has a really strong product portfolio at the moment and the Meriva is a car with few credible rivals.

Facts At A Glance CAR: Vauxhall Meriva range PRICES: £10,780-£16,855 – on the road INSURANCE GROUPS: 3E-12E CO2 EMISSIONS: 135-187g/km PERFORMANCE: [1.8] Max Speed 118mph / 0-60mph 10.9s FUEL CONSUMPTION: [1.6] (urban) 32.1mpg / (extra urban) 51.4mpg / (combined) 42.2mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front airbags WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height mm 4042/1694/1624

A TWINNING COMBINATION
The 1.4-Litre Twinport Might Be The Entry Point In The Vauxhall Meriva Engine Range But It Might Also Be The Informed Choice. Steve Walker Reports…

The Meriva is based on the previous generation Corsa but whereas Vauxhall’s supermini was available with small 1.0 and 1.2-litre petrol engines, the company’s supermini-MPV has a 1.4-litre unit as its entry point. Why is this? First, the Meriva is a bigger vehicle, 23cm longer and 18cm higher. Second, it’s nearly 200kg heavier and thirdly, it’s designed to be used in a different way. Whereas the rear bench in a Corsa will spend large parts of its time accommodating nothing more substantial than a some casually tossed shopping bags and a road atlas, Merivas are purchased by individuals who have the express intention of seating people in the rear seats. More passengers mean more weight and more weight necessitates more power.

The physics will not be denied. You’d have to carry three rear seat passengers in a Meriva with a piddling 1.0-litre petrol engine because you’d need all of them to get out and push whenever a modest incline presented itself. The 1.4-litre Twinport petrol engine, by contrast, has the wherewithal to haul a fully-laden Meriva up some serious slopes without undue drama. Starting from £10,495 and developing 89bhp, it might be the least expensive and least powerful Meriva powerplant but it’s not out of its depth. MPVs of all descriptions are largely bought as family vehicles and hailing from the compact end of the MPV spectrum, the Meriva is largely bought by families on a fairly tight budget. These kinds of buyers will like the 1.4-litre Twinport engine not just because it’s cheap to buy but because it’s economical with its fuel and clean with its emissions. This equates to money saved at the pumps and on the tax that can be redirected into some of the other expenses that accompany modern family life. There sure are plenty of them. 44.1mpg is the average fuel consumption figure supplied by Vauxhall and that’s a good showing for a 1.4-litre petrol unit. For the kind of urban motoring that most Merivas will do, however, better to expect something closer to the 34mpg official urban figure – which still isn’t bad. That, combined with CO2 emissions of 154g/km and the unit’s EuroIV compliance, will save Meriva buyers a pretty penny. It’s all achieved with the aid of Vauxhall’s Twinport technology. It’s a clever system that recycles exhaust gasses containing unburnt fuel back into the engine. Under partial load, 25% of the fuel/air mixture going into the engine is actually made up of already burnt exhaust gasses and the result is a big improvement in efficiency. It’s all done by synchronised electronic management of the fuel injectors, the emission control (Houston, we have a problem) and the 3-way catalytic converter.

"The engine is well capable of getting the car from A to B and occasionally across to C for the weekend…"

Performance is what you’d expect from a small engine powering a small MPV – unremarkable. 0-60mph takes just shy of 13 seconds and there’s a 104mph top speed – not too lethargic but not unduly quick either. In reality, a 1.4-litre Twinport-powered Meriva is perfectly adequate for the type of usage that it was intended for. The engine revs-freely, it’s quite zippy off the line and gets up to cruising speed rapidly enough – which is all most owners will really want. In terms of handling, the Meriva is actually surprisingly good. For a high-sided MPV, it feels stable in the corners and ride comfort over those traffic-calming measures is a definite strong point. If you do try to extract what little performance the 1.4-litre unit has, things can get a bit noisy in the cabin but at normal revs, the engine is quiet and at normal speeds there’s not much wind noise. There’s nothing particularly noteworthy about the Meriva’s shape, the exterior being a product of the interior’s roominess and functionality rather than something created to make a fashion statement in its own right. The latest models do, however, feature the Vauxhall trademark V-shaped grille set in a reprofiled front bumper along with dark lens rear light clusters and a thick chrome strip across the tailgate. It’s nothing too over the top and this, of course, is how it should be. 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. It’s here that the Meriva comes up trumps. Just as Vauxhall aced the opposition with the Zafira’s Flex7 seating system, the Meriva aims to do likewise with its less snappily titled FlexSpace arrangement. With five seats to play with, the Meriva doesn’t have as many tricks up its sleeve as the Zafira, but you’ll still be able to wow your passengers with a few deft flicks of the wrist. 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, there’s a creditable 560 litres available. The innovations don’t stop there. Twin Audio is a first for a car of the Meriva’s 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. Performance isn’t high on amongst the priorities of buyers in the Meriva’s sector so the more affordable and economical 1.4-litre models will find plenty of willing purchasers. The engine is well capable of getting the car from A to B and occasionally across to C for the weekend, plus it does so while supping lightly at its fuel reserves. The 1.4-litre Twinport unit is a cost-effective companion for the wider Meriva package.

Facts At A Glance CAR: Vauxhall Meriva 1.4-litre Twinport range PRICES: £10,495- £13,650 – on the road INSURANCE GROUPS: 3E-4E CO2 EMISSIONS: 154g/km PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 104mph / 0-60mph 12.8s FUEL CONSUMPTION: (urban) 34mpg, (extra urban) 53.3mpg, (combined) 44.1mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front airbags WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height mm 4042/1694/1624

SMALL BUT PERFECTLY REFORMED
With A More Powerful Yet More Economical Engine, The Vauxhall Meriva 1.6 Twinport Offers A Lot To The Petrol-Orientated Supermini Buyer Looking For Something More Versatile. Andy Enright Reports…

What has happened to Vauxhall? For those of with long memories, Vauxhall used to be a byword for corporate sluggishness, with lazy and incompetent senior management myopically cutting costs knowing that the fleet market would keep sales looking respectable. That company and culture has gone, replaced by a manufacturer that seems to predict market niches and act upon them with the speed of a low volume specialist. Take the Meriva as an example.

Yes, the Japanese had attempted to popularise the supermini-MPV in the UK but had fallen flat on their faces with weird offerings like the Daihatsu Move and the Suzuki Wagon-R+. Vauxhall had even dipped a toe in the water with the Agila, a car based on the Wagon-R+ that was tremendous fun to drive but which didn’t appeal to British buyers. While Ford, Citroen, Peugeot and Renault all sat on their hands hemming and hawing, Vauxhall waded into this market with their second stab at the supermini-MPV, the Meriva. Just as the opposition needed four years to catch up with the Meriva’s big brother, the Zafira, it’ll be some time before they can hope to replicate what Vauxhall has achieved here. The Meriva models fitted with the latest 1.6-litre Twinport engine are amongst the best sellers in the entire line up and it isn’t difficult to see why. The Twinport unit offers the Meriva driver 5PS more than the 1.6-litre petrol unit that was previously on offer in this car. This 105PS powerplant is livelier yet more economical, having a top speed of 112mph and a combined economy figure of 42.2mpg – a six percent improvement over the outgoing car. Prices are broadly the same as before, starting from around £12,000. The 1.6-litre 16-valve unit used in the variant we look at here is very capable at the pumps where it will return something in the region of 42 miles out of every gallon of 95RON unleaded. Performance is as good as most buyers would want from a small family car which goes part way to accounting for the 1.6-litre engine’s popularity. The all-important 0-60mph sprint takes about 12.5s and there’s ample pulling power from low down to over and beyond the 3,000rpm barrier, which helps make the best of stop start urban journeys by reducing the need for gear changes. Like all other Merivas, this model benefits from a recent facelift. There’s now a prominent V-shaped front grille and a reprofiled bumper. Move to the rear end and the Meriva gets dark rear lamp lenses and a chromed strip across the tailgate. Vauxhall have widened the colour palette for exterior paint finishes and have also unveiled some interesting alloy wheel designs for the latest car. The interior has had a mild makeover too with additional chrome detailing lifting the rather sombre cabin. Revised fabrics are both more attractive and harder wearing.

"Performance is as good as most buyers would want from a small family car which goes part way to accounting for the 1.6-litre engine’s popularity…"

The Meriva itself is based on a Corsa platform, making it a good deal smaller than a 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 it’s high roofline, the General Motors designers responsible for the Meriva have been able to create an interior that’s 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. It’s here that the Meriva comes up trumps. Just as Vauxhall aced the opposition with the Zafira’s Flex7 seating system, the Meriva aims to do likewise with its less snappily titled FlexSpace arrangement. With five seats to play with, the Meriva doesn’t have as many tricks up its sleeve as the Zafira, but you’ll still be able to wow your passengers with a few deft flicks of the wrist. 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, there’s a creditable 560 litres available. With a wheelbase barely two and a half inches shorter than a Vauxhall Zafira, the Meriva demands few compromises on its occupants. Vauxhall’s marketing push has been just as canny as their product design. This desirable 1.6-litre Twinport car’s modest premium over the 1.4-litre Twinport models encourages the wavering buyer to opt for the more powerful and more expensive car. Most of the time this is somewhat cynically called ‘upselling’ but in this case it’s a win-win scenario. There’s a lot to be said for the Meriva 1.6 range and respect is most certainly due to Vauxhall. The opposition have a lot of catching up to do.

Facts At A Glance CAR: Vauxhall Meriva 1.6 Twinport range PRICES: £12,395- £14,350 – on the road INSURANCE GROUP: 5 CO2 EMISSIONS: 161g/km PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 112mph / 0-60mph 12.4s FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 42.2mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front airbags, ABS with EBD WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height mm 4042/1694/1624

VIVA MERIVA
Vauxhall’s Meriva Is More About Space Than Pace But For Buyers Who Want A Little Extra Get Up And Go There’s Always The 1.8-Litre Version. Steve Walker Reports.

Sleek, aggressive, flamboyant, sporty, the Vauxhall Meriva is patently none of the above. The appeal of this car comes in a groundbreaking interior with contortionist seats that can be manoeuvred into a position for almost any occasion. Many a keen driver has been forced into a mini-MPV because a hot-hatchback is too uneconomical or the pushchair won’t fit into that roadster and Vauxhall are known to sympathise with this predicament. They did, after all, begin the fast MPV craze with the 189bhp Zafira GSi.

The Meriva’s 1.8-litre engine falls a long way shy of the turbocharged 1.6-litre lump in Vauxhall’s bonkers Meriva VXR and it can’t transform the car’s basic character but it might provide a certain solace for drivers whose family commitments form a millstone around their motoring necks. The 200 cubic centimetres of engine capacity that the Meriva’s 1.8 holds over the normally-aspirated 104bhp 1.6-litre unit that sits below it in the range don’t transform the car into a fire-breathing monster but with a 10.9-second time for the 0-60mph sprint, they do help it pick up its heels a bit. If you go for the 1.6-litre 16-valve, 0-60mph takes 12.9 seconds while the 1.7-litre CDTi can do the same in 13.4s, so the 1.8 is comfortably the most rapid mainstream Meriva on the market. The range-topping Meriva VXR could never be called mainstream with a 180bhp 1.6-litre turbo engine but it’s idea for the mother or father who is perennially late dropping their kids off at school. With 125bhp on tap the Meriva’s 1.8-litre engine can also reach a top speed of 118mph where conditions allow and the engine produces decent torque for in-gear exploits, even though it’s not as flexible as the gutsy CDTi diesels. The Meriva inherits a good chassis from its Corsa sister vehicle and it copes with the power of the 1.8-litre unit well – much better than it does with the 180bhp in the VXR. It is a car that you can have fun driving but don’t expect miracles, it’s still an MPV.

"It’s the little touches like this that make all the difference and the Meriva is full of them."

Discussing the 0-60mph performance and handling of a Vauxhall Meriva is missing the point somewhat, even with this sprightly 1.8-litre version. It just isn’t that kind of car. Issues of fuel consumption and price are far more salient to a product like this, so here goes. None of the petrol Merivas can get anywhere remotely close to the combined cycle fuel consumption of over 50mpg that’s possible in the CDTi models but with 34mpg, the 1.8 has a respectable stab at frugality. The 1.6-litre unit manages 42mpg and the 1.4-litre twinport returns 44mpg, so there isn’t a huge trade-off for the extra performance of the 1.8-litre. On price, this larger engine holds up well too, at £14,870 it’s only around £700 more than a 1.6-litre model with the equivalent trim – not a massive price to pay if you value that extra urge off the line and higher top-end. The diesels are actually more expensive but then that 50mpg fuel consumption will be an irresistible draw for some buyers. Your £14,870 will get you a Club specification 1.8-litre Meriva but there’s also a Design for around £200 more. Design focuses on the look of the car by including styling add-ons like 15-inch alloys, a leather covered steering wheel and front fog lights along with body-coloured side protection strips, door handles and tailgate handle. All models get a CD player, twin front airbags, an immobiliser and a heated rear window with wash/wipe, so equipment levels are generally very high. We’ve looked at the advantages of the feisty 1.8-litre Meriva in comparison to the other engine options but the real selling point of this car is a feature shared by all the models in the range – the FlexSpace seating system. 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, there’s a creditable 560 litres available. The interior styling 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’. Twin electrically operated sunroofs add an airy feel inside, but it’s 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. It’s the little touches like this that make all the difference and the Meriva is full of them. Nobody is going to buy a Vauxhall Meriva primarily for its performance but plenty of buyers will be drawn to the car by the excellence of its user-friendly interior design. The 1.8-litre models mean that space doesn’t have to come at the expense of pace and buyers who can’t do without a vehicle of the Meriva’s inherent practicality don’t have to do without a car that can at least a raise a smile on the way home from the school run.

Facts At A Glance CAR: Vauxhall Meriva 1.8-litre range PRICES: £14,870 - £15,075 – on the road INSURANCE GROUPS: 6E-7E CO2 EMISSIONS: 196g/km PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 118mph / 0-60mph 10.9s FUEL CONSUMPTION: (average) 34mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front airbags, ABS with EBD, Emergency Brake Assist, Front seatbelt force limiters, side impact protection. WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height mm 4042/1694/1624

FAMILY FAST
Pioneering New Vehicle Niches Can Either Be Supremely Profitable Or Embarrassingly Costly Failures. Andy Enright Takes A Look At Vauxhall’s Meriva VXR And Wonders Which It’ll Be.

Unless you’re an owner, you’re probably only dimly aware of the Vauxhall Meriva. It’s a cuddly looking supermini MPV from Vauxhall that’s patronised by young families looking for something with a little more space than a Corsa. Still not there? You may remember the advertisements with the car split in half and the two kids in the back sandwiching a pretty blonde. Now we’re getting somewhere. None of which brings to mind a 180bhp tarmac-ripping sports variant does it?

The Meriva VXR is a very unorthodox car. No other car manufacturer has tried to build a performance mini-MPV and when you consider the raw material most of them have to work with, you can see why. I don’t think I’d feel all that virile at the wheel of a powerful Toyota Yaris Verso, a turbocharged Suzuki Wagon R or a hairy-chested Renault Modus. Nevertheless, Vauxhall seem determined to expand the VXR brand across as many platforms as possible in the quickest possible time. Some conversions work better than other and one can’t help but feel that if they took their time and were a little more selective in their product choice, they’d invest the VXR brand with a little more equity. Part of the problem is that the really serious VXR models – the cars that could really establish a halo effect – are no longer built. The Monaro VXR and VXR220 were both superb fun cars. The models we’re left with are a mixed bag. The Vectra is the most impressive, the Astra could use 20bhp less power and the Zafira is a definite acquired taste. None are quite as odd as this turbocharged Meriva. The 180bhp power output comes from a turbocharged 1.6-litre engine that hasn’t been seen in any other Vauxhall models to date. Vauxhall were keen on keeping the powerplant small and light instead of the existing 2.0-litre turbo seen in the Astra SRi that would seem the obvious choice. The downside of a lightweight engine in a powerful front wheel drive car is that there isn’t a whole lot of kilogrammes pressing the front tyres into the road and the Meriva will need to rely on a very busy traction control system if the driver has a heavy right boot. Find some dry tarmac and a skilled driver should be able to get from standstill to 60mph in around eight seconds which when compared to the 6.7 seconds that something like a Clio 182 manages, could well highlight the Meriva’s traction issue. A six-speed gearbox is fitted to the Vauxhall that will inevitably gear the lower ratios down, but the flipside of this is that the Meriva will be relatively refined at typical motorway cruising speeds. The 180bhp engine has been earmarked for the Corsa VXR which should also be interesting.

"Don’t leave the keys hanging around the house. Otherwise you’ll have some explaining to do when your nearest and dearest comes home looking rather ashen-faced…."

Vauxhall haven’t just hopped up the car’s engine and added some white dials and chicken wire grilles to the Meriva in order for it to wear the VXR badge. The suspension has been stiffened to provide better handling and improved driver feedback. Six-spoke 17-inch alloy wheels ensure that you should always have a chunky rubber footprint in contact with the road and they look smart too. The front end has been reprofiled with a more aggressive front bumper and intake assembly. It gives the Meriva VXR the same family look as the Zafira, Astra and Vectra VXR variants. Beady-eyed fog lamps sit at either side of the gaping intake, while at the rear, there’s a more aggressive valance and bumper section. Thankfully it’s not too over the top. It would have been quite easy to turn this car into a bit of a joke but the Meriva VXR’s styling tweaks give it a touch of aggression without resorting to crass caricature. The supportive Recaro seats that adorn the interior are a very welcome touch and are set off with VXR badging on the gearlever, clocks and steering wheel. Otherwise VXR owners still get all the clever interior features of standard Meriva customers, the real selling point of this car being the FlexSpace seating system. 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, there’s a creditable 560 litres available. The interior styling 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’. Twin electrically operated sunroofs add an airy feel inside, but it’s 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. It’s the little touches like this that make all the difference and the Meriva is full of them. It’s likely that the Meriva VXR will, like its bigger sibling the Zafira VXR, be bought by those looking to work a little sly deception on their other half. Parental responsibilities may preclude a sports car but as long as the pedal never hits the metal with the kids on board, perhaps this innocent duplicity may never be discovered. Whatever you do, don’t leave the keys hanging around the house. You’ll have some explaining to do when your nearest and dearest comes home looking rather ashen-faced.

Facts At A Glance CAR: Vauxhall Meriva VXR PRICE: £16,570– on the road INSURANCE GROUP: 12 CO2 EMISSIONS: 187g/km PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 138mph / 0-60mph 7.9s FUEL CONSUMPTION: (urban) 27.2mpg / (extra urban) 44.8mpg / (combined) 36.2mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front airbags, ABS with EBD WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Height mm 4042/1694/1624