Opel Meriva is a small, family-owned subcompact that is one of the most popular company models of all time. The car is produced from 2003 to the present day. It can often be found on the road, it is inexpensive, especially in the secondary market, but most importantly, Meriva gives its owner a high level of safety, comfort and reliability, time-tested.
Car history
For the first time, the Opel Meriva was presented at one of the car dealerships that took place in France in 2002. Just a year later, the production of the first models began at a factory in Spain, and a little later, sales in European cities. The car immediately attracted attention, primarily due to its affordable price. Among the competitors, Meriva stood out for its surprisingly spacious and comfortable interior, good assembly and safety, as well as in technical terms.
In 2006, when the updated Opel Corsa began to roll off the assembly line, a restyled version of Meriva was built on its basis. The car received a slightly modified external design, and the engine lineup was replenished with several new copies.
In addition, the presentation of the most powerful, so to speak, “charged” version of the Opel Meriva OPC, in which a 180 horsepower turbocharged engine was installed, was held in parallel. This allowed the car to accelerate to hundreds in just 8.2 seconds, and the maximum speed reached 222 km / h. Also, the “charged” version had a slightly sporty look, a leather interior from Recaro, a new manual gearbox and much more.
Actually, in 2010 the production of the first generation model ended, and the second-generation Meriva presentation, which received the “B” index, was held at the Geneva Motor Show. A couple of months later, everyone at the same factories in Spain launched the assembly of the updated version, and a month later the first sales began.
The new Meriva has significantly changed the appearance - it has become more athletic and modern. The main difference from the previous generation was the doors, which now open back, that is, against movement. This technology was called FlexDoors, and its main task was to provide a more comfortable landing of passengers in the back rows. The innovation immediately liked many motorists, which they repeatedly reported in their reviews. Photos of the second generation Opel Meriva you can see in the article. The car is really interesting and attracts attention.
In 2013, the Opel Meriva was re-styled. The appearance slightly changed, another new motor was added, but otherwise everything remained unchanged. At the moment, car production continues, but rumors are circulating about the upcoming third-generation model.
Appearance
Looks Opel Meriva, at first glance, quite worthy. This is no ordinary boring family compact car like competitors from Peugeot or Citroen. The huge headlights of the car, which traditionally have a “predatory look” for Opel, immediately catch the eye. The headlights are separated by a large grille with a chrome insert and the company logo, which gives the car sportiness. A little lower is a bumper with an air intake and large niches for foglights, which seem to repeat the general silhouette of the optics.
Behind the car looks no less sporty. The bumper has an emphasizing shape, with well-designed edges. The taillights look no less predatory and aggressive than the headlights. The tailgate is large with a small spoiler on top. The spoiler has a small brake light from LEDs.
On the side, Meriva also looks very cool. Flowing lines harmoniously combine with sharp and eye-catching faces that emphasize the shape of the car. The roof has a very slight bevel, which gives a feeling of compactness. Rounding out the overall look are alloy 17-inch wheels.
Salon
Inside, the Opel Meriva is quite spacious, despite its size. 3 people are placed behind without any problems or efforts. Also, the middle seat can be folded and get a wide armrest out of it. Everything is standard in front - 2 people, an armrest, comfortable seats with lateral support.
Immediately, perhaps, it is worth saying about the trunk. Its volume is 400 liters, but if you fold the back row, then the volume can be increased to 1,500 liters. By the way, in the first generation of the model, the rear seats did not fold completely, which is why the maximum volume was slightly less.
Now you can return to the driver's side. Here, in general, everything is standard: a multimedia steering wheel, a neat and compact front panel, a modern “tidy”, climate control unit, a multimedia system control unit, air conditioning, etc. An interesting thing to note is the screen of the multimedia system, which is not in its usual place. Instead, it is hidden in a “torpedo” and automatically pushes out.
Now for the finishing materials. Plastic, according to the owners, is quite good - moderately soft, does not creak, it is nice to touch it. Also in the cabin there are chrome inserts that dilute the range and add a bit of style. The steering wheel and gear selector, depending on the configuration, can be covered in leather. As for the trim, it is a very high-quality fabric with Top Tec technology that repels moisture and is also easy to clean.
In the end, I would like to note good viewing angles from the driver's side. Also, a panoramic roof deserves special attention, which is not so often found in cars of this class. Other manufacturers are most often limited to a conventional hatch.
Specifications
It's time to move on to the specifications of the Opel Meriva. Only 3 points cause the greatest interest here - the engine line, gearbox and chassis. We consider each of the items separately.
Engines
A lot of engines were installed on the car, however, only 3 options are available for Russia, each 1.4 liter. On the secondary market, you can sometimes still find a pre-styling version of the second generation Opel Meriva with a 1.7-liter CDTi diesel engine. Its capacity is 100-110 liters. sec., and the maximum speed is 180 km / h.
Now about gasoline units. As already mentioned, there are only three of them of the same volume - 1.4 liters. The youngest in the line has a capacity of 101 liters. sec., which allows it to accelerate to hundreds in 14 seconds. The maximum speed is 177 km / h.
The second engine is equipped with a turbine and has a capacity of 120 liters. from. Acceleration to hundreds is 11.9 seconds and a top speed of 185 km / h.
The third motor is the most powerful of all three. It is also equipped with a turbine, and its capacity is 140 liters. from. Acceleration to hundreds - a little more than 10 seconds, and the "maximum speed" reaches the mark of 196 km / h.
As the reviews of Opel Meriva owners show, there are practically no problems with the engine, except for one - souring of the ignition module. Until the end, no one knows how this turns out, but fact is fact. The only way to deal with this is to check every 5-7 thousand km and, if a green coating is found, clean it. Otherwise, you will have to pay well for replacing the part.
Gearboxes
As for the gearboxes on the Opel Meriva, then everything is simple - automatic and mechanics. On the younger and older engines in the line were strictly 5-speed and 6-speed manual gearboxes. But the engines for 120 "horses" were equipped only with automation at 6 speeds.
There are no special problems in the operation of the gearbox. The only thing you need to remember to change the oil is approximately every 45-50 thousand km.
Chassis
Well, finish the technical specifications of the Opel Meriva follows the description of the chassis. Actually, there is nothing particularly new here either. The basis was taken from the suspension from Opel Zafira, which is only slightly reworked. In front is an independent spring suspension with McPherson struts. At the back is a semi-independent multi-link.
On the road, the car shows itself very well. Stability and control at a high level, all sorts of pits and irregularities, the suspension “smooths out”, so that they are not particularly felt.
Reviews
Opel Meriva reviews are mostly positive. Owners note a very high level of assembly, quality and reliability of the car. On the other hand, the model still has disadvantages, but they are not so critical. Perhaps the most important drawback is the frequent problems with the ignition module, as mentioned earlier. Also, the disadvantages, according to the owners, include not too good paintwork, a small volume of a barrel with washer fluid, not too convenient steering adjustment for drivers taller than 175 cm and a little expensive repair on some details.
Cost
Now for the cost of the car. The fact is that the new Opel Meriva can hardly be found on sale, since GM stopped delivering the model to Russia. Nevertheless, in some car dealerships, cars are still sold at a price of 650-680 thousand rubles for a minimum configuration with a 100-horsepower engine. In the maximum configuration, the car costs over 900 thousand rubles, which is a little expensive.
There are also a lot of sales offers in the secondary market. The average price varies from 470 to 600 thousand rubles for a car 2013-2014 model year. Options are mostly either minimal or medium.