05 January 2010 - 12:00
New Meriva: unhinged
Prepare for a shock. A small shock, admittedly, but a shock nonetheless.
This is the new Vauxhall Meriva. Not a 'concept previewing the new Vauxhall Meriva', but the real, production Vauxhall Meriva. And it has suicide doors!
Actually, Vauxhall doesn't call them suicide doors. They're FlexDoors, apparently, which "allow unimpeded forward access/egress to and from the cabin". That's marketing-speak for ‘make it easier to get in and out of the back'.
We are unashamed suckers for a good suicide door - even on a sensible five-seat family car - so the Meriva is off to a good start. And it should be a tidy all-round specimen when it goes on sale later this year after its debut at the Geneva show in March.
For a start, it looks good, adopting bits of Astra/Insignia design language - check out that ‘sideblade' running down from the front wheel arch - and adding a natty new kink in the window line, which helps to improve visibility from the rear seats but mainly looks rather good.
With a wider track and longer wheelbase than the outgoing Meriva, it should drive better than the old car. It'll be launched with a range of six turbo engines borrowed from the Astra, ranging from 74bhp to 138bhp. Strangely, there's no word on a VXR version yet.
We'll get our first look at the new Meriva in Geneva (poets, know it, etc.) this March.
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i think it looks pretty good actually! finally a car maker has carried on a concept without making it boring!!! well done vauxhall!
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It's certainly much more interesting than the old Meriva, although it retains that awful, awful name. But they've made Honda's mistake of making the headlights too big. They're completely out of proportion with the rest of the front mask and are probably only that big to give it a cutesy face that will go with a cartoony ad campaign. I will thus never want one. The rest of it looks good though, nice 'n' modern, and clearly a VauxOpel, although that jagged waistline will likely polarise opinion.
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it looks like it can fly, kinda looks like jumbo,lol...
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Guessing that the OPC (or VRX in UK) ends up with the current Corsa's 1,6 litre 192 bhp engine. Possibly slightly detuned?
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Nooooo wait.... current OPC/VRX already has same engine as Corsa!... so shouldn't be detuned in new version yaayyyy!
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Shoot me... I meant VXR !!!
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i agree, headlights are too big. i do like the big transparent roof though.
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i'd like this car. but i won't buy another GM product.
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Why do more and more companies do suicide doors. I think Rolls-Royce should patent them. Becasue only this and a four-door Lamborghini should have them to me.
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The kink is never a good idea. Citroën designers also made abuse of it, because it's the easiest way to be called original and daring, without worrying about wether it actually contributes to the general beauty of the car.
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And absolutely no use when trying to get the family into the back IN A CAR PARK!! Unless they start making parking bays larger - its sliding doors that you need.
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And how you'd expect to get out in a tight car park?
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the doors are cool to look at, but i think mazda has them beat, with the sliding doors on the mazda 5..... the "look cool factor" is high...but i guess it remains to be seen if we really like it......good news for unlucky bicycle couriers though, instead of being propelled into your car onto your lap, they will simply break your ankle, (as the door slams shut on it)....and from the safety of your car(with your broken foot) you can watch them as they are flung into traffic.....kind of like a pinball....... i hope general motors is smart enough to bring it to canada as something with far to much plastic.....*sigh*... they are learning....slowly...
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Those doors, do they do the Murciélago batwing thingy at speed? Now that's something to tell your children. As a warning.
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This design language is good, but its a little bit generic. And those headlights? Just no.
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I think the suicide doors are a great idea on this car - in the old Meriva suicide often seemed like the only way out. The one I drove had a rubbish 1.6l engine, no torque, no horses, handled like a squashed insect and was really terrible in every way. For instance, the double A-pillars. They meant that in corners and bends you could hide a really big truck with a trailer, and not see it until you hit it. The number of near-misses in that car was enourmous (regardless of who drove it - the best practise was having a passenger in the other front seat so that he/she could see what you didn't), and I pity the people that were stupid enough to buy one. I fear that if the new Meriva is as bad as the old one, the suicide doors will be just that...
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to be honest people have managed to get in and out of cars the normal way for years and if i got given this i would look down in shame these suicide doors would make me commit suicide. if you are going to buy a family car this is definetly not it unless you like to show of.my apinion of this car is it is a waste of time.
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It looks good but i don't see the reason for suicide doors on a people carrier, they should really be on fancy cars. Vauxhalls, if i'm not mistaken, aren't.
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I'm all for suicide doors, but if you could commit suicide out of any car, would you really go for a Marina? It's like saying "We could go to anywhere in Europe. I know! Let's go to Germany!"
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Kuang commented on this article
05 January 2010
I've never understood the point of suicide doors if you still have a big, solid B pillar - it's not as if they make it that much easier to get in. The RX-8 gets style points here for trying something different overall, but otherwise it seems like a fashion statement for a fashion nobody wears anymore.
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