Now benefiting from a mid-life facelift the exterior changes from the original are minimal but overall there is clearly a sense of quality to the one box design.
In Ireland the entry level 1.4 litre petrol is the big seller at €16,900 but GM has put the Fiat developed 1.3 litre diesel into the compact MPV and the result is an almost perfect match. I say almost because at €21,500 it is way too expensive. This is a shame as the Meriva and the oil burner work so well together.
The 1.3 CRD unit is strong and frugal delivering excellent average fuel consumption figures (5L/100km/h - 56.5mpg) while remaining quite zippy. I tested it in Germany and was able to take the car to an indicated 165km/h (top speed is listed as 157km/h) on the autobahn without much fuss.
About town there is little or no diesel clatter making it a no nonsense strong performance. Another engine that has me pretty excited is the new 1.6 Turbo petrol engine that Opel has dropped into the high performance ‘OPC’ (Opel Performance Centre) Meriva. 180bhp delivered through the front wheels in a pint sized MPV is an absolute hoot.
I sat effortlessly at 200km/h on the autobahn while a bit of a gale was blowing with little or no hassle, just the odd twitch through the steering wheel due to the car’s tall profile. The OPC Meriva had me giggling quite a bit as frustrated ‘Rep-mobiles’ would try to impede my progress, after all why should anyone expect a little Meriva to fill their mirrors! When vehicles did clear my lane only a few were able to keep up with my progress. OPC’s top speed is a healthy 222km/h. The sporty exterior features the usual beefy alloys plus a chunky rear spoiler. The suspension is lowered and stiffened without being jarring.
Inside the OPC delivers a sporty feel with ‘Recaro’ half leather seats, racy dials and instrumentation plus a slick six-speed gearbox. It is a strange but nice feeling inside what should be a functional uninspiring machine. You almost feel cosseted in a GTi-like environment. Only a handful of OPC Merivas will ever see Irish roads as the list price is in excess of MINI Cooper ‘S’ money. Some new options include a Bluetooth steering wheel-controlled phone kit plus Halogen AFL (adaptive forward lighting).
AFL is a system pioneered by Citroen in the classic DS that illuminates an area where the car is turning towards. Linked to the steering wheel in the Meriva halogen and not expensive Xenon lights are used. AFL is usually an option on more luxurious cars so it is nice to see Opel taking the lead in this sector. The new Corsa features the same system.
Opel claims over half a million Merivas have been sold since launch and I’m not surprised. Thanks to the very clever and flexible interior that allows the car feature four individual seats or with a few adjustments a flexible family five-seater.
All this in just a mere four metres is some achievement.
Michael Sheridan
