Test drive Opel Meriva 2003 - 2005 Minivan

All photos Opel Meriva 2003 - 2005

Without discounts on size

Fiat Idea
The pre-production model of the project-350 debuted at the 2003 Geneva Motor Show. Since this year, in series has been produced at the Mirafory factory in Turin (Italy). In addition to the basic front -wheel drive model this year, Geneva shows a full -wheel drive modification of 4x4.
A five-door five-seater mini-ven compact class is based on an enlarged Fiat Punto platform. Benzine engines 1.2 liters, 59 kW/80 liters. With.; 1.4 l, 70 kW/95 l. With. or turbodiesel Multijet 1.3 liters, 51 kW/70 liters. With.; 1.9 l, 74 kW/100 l. With. The gearbox is five -speed mechanical, there is a modification with automatic control.
The minimum price in Germany is 13,290 euros for a car with a 1.2 l engine (this is not sold in Italy). The price range in Italy for basic configurations from 13,500 euros for Actual 1.4 liters to 17,800 euros per Multijet Dynamic 1.9 liters. The cost of the Dynamic test car is 1.4 liters of 15,200 euros, it is precisely such cars and at the same price should appear in October in Russia.

Opel Meriva
The prototype is shown at the 2002 Paris salon, the serial model's debut took place six months later in Geneva. Production is established in Saragos (Spain). The same type of chevrolet-measured model is produced in Brazil.
The five-seater five-door mini-ven is built on an enlarged front-wheel drive platform of Opel-Kors. Benzine engines 1.6 liters, 64 kW/87 liters. With. or 74 kW/100 liters. With.; 1.8 l, 92 kW/125 l. p., as well as turbodiesel 1.7 liters, 55 kW/75 liters. With. or 74 kW/100 liters. With. The gearbox is five -speed mechanical, and with a more powerful 1.6 liter engine, also five -speed Easytronic with automatic control.
The price range in Germany for cars in standard trim levels from 13,715 euros for a car with an eight -valve engine of 1.6 liters to 16,810 euros for 1.7 CDTI. The cost of a test car is 1.6 l 16V with additional equipment is 22,655 euros.

The Sphiates Yidea We met in early spring in Italy. For the company, they took a good acquaintance Opel Meriva (ZR, 2003, No. 8). These two cars are direct competitors in Europe, and in the fall of this year their interests will collide in Russia.
Pull-pull and stretch!

A strange thing, a year ago Opel Meriva seemed to me a rounded bun. And now he seemed to have grown up, stretched out and lost weight, in comparison with the Fiat Ide, which is slightly shorter and higher. However, the latter does not look like a thick awesome thanks to an elegant muzzle with slanting headlights brought by the orange arrows of the turn signals.
Both wagons are built on enlarged B-class hatchback platforms. The base of the aggregate donor of the Fiat Punto was stretched by 50 mm, about the same rut was expanded. But the Opel-Kors platform was lengthened by as many as 140 mm, providing the Meriva with a record indicator of its base 2630 mm the largest in the classroom. The track is increased by only 2040 mm.
It is unlikely that the Fiatovites were beyond the power of such a radical operation. Most likely, the matter is in national preferences. In relatively poor Italy with its narrow ancient streets, compact small -leafing, short and rotary are traditionally popular. But wealthy and high -speed Germany prefers large and powerful cars, even models of small classes here are not so small and weak. As a result, the measure was 115 mm longer, which, however, is noticeable only with a careful comparison, and the line of its power units begins where the idea ends.
The most popular layout in small classes is front -wheel drive with a transverse location of the power unit. Suspensions are equally common: McEferson racks in front and longitudinal levers connected by elastic cross-member, as, for example, in front-wheel drive vases. Small differences only in the brakes: Opel has all disk, but the rear non -premised ones; Fiat in the front is ventilated discs, behind the drums. In addition, the Italian car has an electric dual -resistant steering Dualdrive steering, and German has electro -hydraulic.
And what is there to drink?

The stewed harem was amazing, and the dinner was honestly earned by the hands of the steering wheel on mountain serpentines, past the tiny pedestrian towns with a couple of hundred residents and the only parking at the entrance. The Italian at the next table took half a booby red, remembered English and invited us to join. The excuses that we are driving, he clearly did not understand: so what, me too! I once drank four bottles (!) And nothing, I arrived
By the way, about appetites. During the test, in which half the run fell on the high -speed highway, and the other on the mountains and city streets, we were able to evaluate the average fuel consumption. The lighter fiat-idea with a small, but stronger forced engine (1.4 liters, 70 kW/95 hp) showed a wonderful result of only 6.8 l/100 km. Opel of the meriva is almost one and a half hundred kilograms heavier, and the larger motor (1.6 liters, 74 kW/100 l.) It is necessary to feed, a result of 8.4 liters per hundred. However, we will make a reservation: we did not conduct instruments.
Cars are perceived differently on the go. The idea has a slightly noisy, perky and very working power unit pulls himself and pulls, not complaining about too high transmission. A rather strict suspension voices potholes with a dissatisfied knock. The operating mode of the CITY of the steering wheel power steering was tried once, but they didn’t touch it anymore: in order to shift the wheels a couple of times during parking, turning it on, and constant driving with an empty steering wheel, even in urban tightness, is more annoying, which facilitates life.
The measure has more sedate habits softer suspension, quieter engine, better sound insulation. By the way, the steering with the same rotation radii is not so sharp 3.3 turns from the stop to the stop against 2.9 at Fiat. However, the fast piloting of the Opel is contraindicated in the performance of the amplifier and, when turning, the steering wheel seems to get into an obstacle, which is why the hands may jump off it.

APPEARANCES ARE DECEPTIVE
The Fiat Yidea is balanced in shape and content, toy appearance corresponds to the interior of a free cut, made in beige colors. The dashboard in the center of the front panel, a short comfortable lever of the gearbox, are peculiar at hand, right at hand on the protrusion of the central console; Adds convenience a lot of boxes and shelves. Including over the head by the way, a good place for cards and atlases. An additional panoramic rear view mirror is thrown out of the ceiling. It is a pity that it is strongly shifted back, almost to the level of the driver's head. However, the main mirror is also enough, since the rear head restraints are flooded on the backs of the backs. But stylish external mirrors are small, and the management of their electro -regulations is not clear. The salon is very convenient, but carries obvious features of a mass car: a simple steering wheel, inexpensive plastic, on which burrs are visible in some places, almost uneven gaps, loudly clapping the ceiling of the handle on Opel, they with microlyffs.
Playing appearance with a round -sided, lupis of the grade is deceiving. Inside, this is a quite adult car in strict Opelian style of technology: black leather, even lines, flat panels, straight angles.

Everything is verified to a millimeter, as in a pharmacy: comfortable seats, a steering wheel with a correct grip (although without adjusting the length of the column, like Fiat), solid plastic, perfectly fitted panels, all controls where you expect to see them. Unless the lever of the gearbox is shifted quite far back, almost to the middle of the thigh of the medium -sized driver. Although its position is justified by a giant longitudinal adjustment of the seat.
The keys of the electric windows are not very convenient, I was mistaken several times until I got used to it. In the inner mirror (by the way, with automatic darkness), a pair of rear head restraint looms. There is one more difference in visibility: both cars have bifurcated front racks, which overlook the overview in a canopy turn: the Italian has a high -growth driver’s eye, the German is high.
Cars without discounts on small sizes are equipped. The Fiat Yidea worth 15,200 euros in the standard configuration Dynamic offers electro-regulation of glasses and mirrors, air conditioning, an audio system Blaupunkt with eight speakers, an on-board computer, four airbags. Opel Meriva in the Cosmo configuration costs 15,395 euros a little more expensive.

A lot runs for additional equipment: lateral airbags (380 euros), stabilization system (525 euros), leather interior (1545 euros), audio system (750 euros), climate (1665 euros), xenon headlights (760 euros).
Raise, horns and legs
If the car was chosen by the wife in accordance with her windbreak, she would certainly pay attention to the Fiat Yidea. A 1300 mm height guarantees a 205 mm160 mm medium height of a medium height of a medium height, respectively. In the back in both cars, passengers remain about a dozen centimeters to the ceiling, 130 and 110 mm in front of the knees to the front backs a little more for fiat. However, the Opel plays 30 mm along the width of the cabin from behind, three will be more freely placed here. In general, the 198 cm height photographer did not experience any problems in the merchant, and in the idea could also grow by a dozen centimeters but only in the spine, for too long legs there will not be enough longitudinal adjustment of the chair.
Landing a little more convenient in the Italian car: higher and even open openings allow you to enter there with a proudly raised head. And the rounded corners of the seats, especially the rear ones, do not force to make ballet paers in order to put your legs into the cabin past the door rack.

As befits mini-wenes, split rear seats allow many transformation options, each section is equipped with longitudinal adjustment and can be folded. For fiat, the algorithms of movements are simpler, but quite functional: there is a reclining central armrest, and the backs have a wide range of adjustments of the angle of inclination, you can get a reclining.
The Opel mechanics are wiser: the middle part does not form the armrest when folding, but is driven down (the removable boxing box is included in the list of additional equipment), after which the side sections can be removed to the center and then still pushed back between the wheel arches. Now only two places are behind, but what! Grow to your health, not only horns, but the legs in front of the knees will be as many as 160 mm!
In standard five -seater configurations, the fiat's trunk is deeper, but shorter exactly for the difference in body length and loses to almost a hundred liters, 264 versus 350. However, by laying the backs, including the right front seat, here you can place a load of 2.3 m long. Opel on the shoulder is only 1.6 m, but the gender of the trunk is flush with the opening (more precisely, the false floor, under it is still additional compartments), and its surface is not violated by the folded rear seats. free space and easily contain the most branched decoration. Opel Meriva from this point of view is not so attractive, only 1255 and

Who is who?
I love these little wagons. For a cheerful character, backed up by a moderate price, is ready to forgive a well-equipped Fiat Yidea small flaws in it are much more advantages. Opel Meriva appreciates herself higher and for comparable money offers just a good car without any excesses. Well, if you want to ride with great comfort, you will have to pay extra.

Fiat
+ Compact dimensions, a very high and spacious interior, huge doorways, an abundance of boxes and shelves, an economical and painful engine, a rich basic equipment.
- a harsh suspension, a noisy engine, small external mirrors, some manufacturing flaws, a luggage opening above the floor level.

Opel
+ High quality manufacturing, an extensive list of additional equipment, a spacious interior, roomy trunk, comfortable suspension.
- A rather poor basic equipment, a limited review through the internal mirror, certain disadvantages of ergonomics.