Review of the new Vauxhall Meriva 1.8 Range

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.

TOP 5 MERIVA DEALS

The results below show the top MERIVA deals on buyacar

Vauxhall Meriva 1.4T 16V SE 5dr Estate
Price £15,385 Read Meriva Reviews	Save £2,760
Vauxhall Meriva 1.4T 16V [140] SE 5dr Estate
Price £16,033 Read Meriva Reviews	Save £2,887
Vauxhall Meriva 1.3 CDTi S 5dr Diesel Estate
Price £14,310 Read Meriva Reviews	Save £2,565
Vauxhall Meriva 1.3 CDTi S 5dr [AC] Diesel Estate
Price £14,725 Read Meriva Reviews	Save £2,650
Vauxhall Meriva 1.4i 16V S 5dr Estate
Price £13,186 Read Meriva Reviews	Save £2,309
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