Vauxhall has unveiled its new Meriva prior to its official
Geneva unveiling in March. Aside from the smart looks the Meriva's most distinctive attribute is the adoption of the rear-hinged back doors that featured on the
2008 Meriva Design concept. Vauxhall calls its access-aiding back doors 'FlexDoors', the company going to town with the 'Flex' moniker, as the Meriva features FlexRail, FlexSpace and ecoFLEX in is specification.
That's largely down to the Meriva's focus on practicality. Those FlexDoors open nearly 90 degrees to aid access and can be opened independently of the front doors. Other 'flexes' include the FlexRail centre console that offers useful storage solutions, the FlexSpace bringing easy tilt, fold and slide ability to the seats and ecoFLEX offering a super frugal engine choice for green-minded drivers.
The interior promises to bring similar levels of quality and styling as the
recently introduced Astra. The engine line-up will feature Vauxhall's latest units, six of which will be turbocharged, economy and emissions improved by an average of 15% - or 25g/km - across the range. Full pricing and specification will be revealed nearer the Meriva's Geneva debut in March.
Kyle Fortune - 5 Jan 2010