Review of the new Vauxhall Meriva VXR

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.

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