Opel Meriva test drive since 2010 Minivan

Test drive Opel Meriva: Swear

FLEX''m the new Meriva crossed all the boundaries and changed the concept of doors, seats and even a armrest.

Sometimes it seems that all automobile designers and engineers are wary of the Russian market. What to take from these Russians, if their dreams are quite specific and do not change much over the years: a silver tinted sedan, a large black jeep or a red hatchback? However, everything is not so banal: at first we tried multi-colored clockwork compacts, ceasing to draw conclusions about sexual orientation on them, and now we are following new experiments with excitement, whether it be a mini-crossover or Mini crossover. The minivans, the most conservative car caste, also learned to surprise. Look at Citroen C3 Picasso or Ford Galaxy! Look at the new Opel Meriva.


The traditional silhouette of the minivan refreshes a broken window line, stamping on the doors, stylish headlights and the shape of a niche of foggy, repeating their shape.

The new Meriva is not hidden in the corner of the parking lot a dull family car for quiet movement, near which children are naughty and the trunk of which is intended for seedlings. He is cheerful and stylish, ready to compete with noticeability with the youth hatchback Corsa. The traditional silhouette of the minivan refreshes a broken window line, stamping on the doors, stylish headlights and the shape of a niche of foggy, repeating their shape. The original detail of the back of the rear part flowing to the trunk with a tinted wave of the rear window. The wheels spaced in the corners and short overhangs suggest that a lot of attention is paid to the inner space here. But the main thing in the new Meriva is the doors.


The original detail of the back of the rear part flowing to the trunk with a tinted wave of the rear window.

Grabbing reflexively by the handle of the rear door, you catch the void with your hand. In the measure of the front and back doors, open in different directions like Rolls-Royce. The main task of the engineers was to provide a wide opening for the car, especially if you need to put children's seats on the rear seat or the old man is a family car. Having sorted out several solutions: the mechanism of parting to the sides would be too massive and heavy, one shift of the sash did not like the Europeans in the Peugeot 1007 - the Opelians came to the swing option.


The main task of the engineers was to provide a wide opening for the car, especially if you need to put children's seats on the rear seat or the old man is a family car.

According to the adopted Opel Flexivity, the new system is called FlexDoors. The opening angle is 84 degrees in comparison with the standard 68-70 degrees, and the handle is located on the rack for the convenience of planting.


The opening angle of the doors is 84 degrees in comparison with the standard 68-70 degrees,


The cut line of the rear window increases the sightseeing

The FLEX prefix denotes all ergonomic nuances, carefully thought out by enthusiasts-engineers late at night in an empty headquarters. For example, the FlexSpace system allows you to play with the space of the cabin: to move the rear seats forward and backwardly from each other, to move them to each other or leave the third seat between them, fold completely to expand the trunk (up to 1,500 liters).

The Meriva has a new generation armrest - I give this title to it without the slightest hesitation. Due to aluminum rails, the central console between the front seats can be moved a considerable distance, receiving either an armrest and boxing for storing things, or grooves for a folder with papers or a ladies bag, or cup holders.

The FlexFix system is familiar with the new Astra, a bicycle holder put forward from the rear bumper, which is very popular in Europe, in Russia, most likely, it will mostly be just one of the non -standard chips.

Well, where, of course, without a panoramic roof! As an option, the transparent sky has become a necessary element of all self -respecting new products.

Caring on the minivan along the mountain roads Provence, I want to go out and check: do we ignite on the new Astra? Moreover, the salon is very reminiscent of a stylish hatchback (with the same quality finishes and stylish devices and with the same small buttons in their diversity in the central console). No, this is really a family minivan, only the character is youth: the machine allows you to pass through the turns, readily reacts to the accelerator pedal and does not rock the straight line. It is hoped that the suspension will cope with the Russian features of the roadway as successfully as with the French.


Inserts on the panel and seats can be colored, which noticeably revives the interior. Ophevites boast that cars with color finishing of the salon use considerable attention among customers.

As a database for Meriva, a compactvena ZAFIRA platform was used. MCPHERSON anterior suspension with a reptition stability stabilizer, the back is a half -dependent spring. In the line of power units, gasoline and diesel engines with a volume of 1.3 to 1.7 liters with a capacity of 75 to 140 hp. And the Ophevites were not afraid to send diesel to the Russian market already confirmed that the 1.7-liter 100-horsepower engine would definitely be delivered to the Russian Federation, it has not yet been made about other final decision.

As part of the test, it was possible to ride in cars with a 100-horsepower engine, as well as on the Ecoflex version with a 1.3-liter 95-horsepower CDTI. Contrary to expectations, the environmentally friendly version (the declared consumption is only 4.5 liters per 100 km) did not lose a second-sized engine at the wheel: the cars accelerated equally cheerfully and without rivalry maintained cruising speed. The cars do not bring vibrations or annoying noises to the diesel engine.

As transmissions, five- and six-speed mechanics and six-speed automatic are used. If only 10 % of sales are expected in the economical European market from the machine gun, then in Russia, especially in large providing cities, many minivan buyers, especially young mothers, prefer this transmission.

A great question sign hangs in the air the price of a minivan. So far, there is no information about this.


Svetlana Aleeva



 

Source: Carclub.ru