Opel Meriva test drive since 2010 Minivan

Test drive of the new Opel Meriva 2011: Meriva pointed to the door

The portal Kolesa.ru wary of open the doors of the new Opel, is surprised at the color scheme in the cabin, and guesses the fuel consumption of the diesel engine.

Trying to warm up interest in family cars, compactweight manufacturers are increasingly going to various tricks. Someone turns the salon into a real cyber-transformer, someone manages to introduce the third row of seats in a small trunk, and someone, increasing the road clearance, gives out compactwane as a crossover. Anyone did not really manage to stand out from the crowd of non-combatants. In addition to Opel Meriva.

Even at the time of the run -in the pre -production camouflage model of the new Opel Meriva, rumors began to walk that the rear doors of the popular German compact would open against the move. Prior to this, such an original solution existed only in one serial car. But the Rolls-Royce Phantom cannot be called an affordable car, so Suicide-Doors did not go to the masses.

You can respect the team of Opelian developers and designers only because they were able to go the entire thorny path of certification and endless tests of swing doors for safety. It is the safety of the doors (or rather, its absence), opening against the move and throwing the rear passengers with a stream of running air out of the car (hence the gloomy name), at one time put a cross on a similar design.

The appearance of the new Opel Meriva refers to a type, which in photographs looks better than in life. Compactwane cannot be called elegant despite all its stamping on the sides of the body and bends of the window sill. The wrapped and heavy back of the car does not greatly harmonize with the light and air front. The first -generation measure was more balanced.

The interior looks more interesting and thought out, both in design and in convenience. Panoramic glazing, as well as, inclined to the driver and, especially, to the right passenger, the front console gives a feeling of high landing and space. The warm chocolate color of the interior creates comfort, and the contrasting heavenly-blue color of the front of the cabin and the seats Opel Meriva 2011 continues the air theme, begun outside.

A good decision is a convenient front armrest, which is a multi -storey box that moves along the rails. True, finding, located under it, a cigarette lighter, an ashtray and a USB connector is not easy. Ergonomic miscalculations are not devoid of radio control and an optional navigation system, displaying their data on a large display. He is deprived of sensory management, and the abundance of buttons and the structure of the information menu postpones a change in certain parameters until a complete stop.

It will also be necessary to bring the main feature of the main chip of the entire Ophevsky compactwane to an absolutely immovable state of Opel Meriva. The wings opening against the course were really convenient, especially for a family car. Firstly, it is convenient to open and close them, visually controlling them, the entire planting process on the rear sofa. Secondly, the doors open almost 90 degrees provided unprecedented access to the rear places: it will no longer have to wipe with clothes the back of the rear wings and thresholds. In addition, such a procedure as a transplant from the front to the rear seat has become twice as fast, and, accordingly, it is safer if you have to transplant in conditions of dense urban traffic.

However, there are disadvantages, mainly related to leaving the car. It is impossible to slightly open the door and see if anyone is going from behind, in the merchava it is impossible. An obstructive rear doors will also become an obstacle to freedom if the car is clamped on both sides, for example, in close parking.

We stopped and began to wait for a strong wind, a gust of which could check the suicidality of the rear doors. We did not wait, and smart electronics would not allow us to experiment with their discovery on the go. As a result, we decided that the concept has the right to exist not only thanks to originality, but also, no matter how paradoxical security.

According to the prevailing Opel tradition, the rear seats in a compact single -combor move in all directions. Literally. The reason for this is the patented FlexSpace system, which, if necessary, turns the usual Opel Meriva sofa into two separate chairs. In both cases, the place behind the backs of the front seats will be more than enough for a comfortable stay of passengers.

The most suitable word for describing a two -story Opel trunk is sufficient. The main department with two small niches is quite enough to accommodate a family belt, and all the little things can be removed under the false bottom. Even lower is impractical in our conditions of a doctrine.

Going to experience the new Opel Meriva, I least expected that a diesel would be under the hood of a test car, and even with an automatic machine. Another partner of six -speed automatic transmission has not yet been provided. And testing such an unusual combination was doubly interesting.

Having launched the power unit, any person passing by, will easily determine his diesel origin. But it is unlikely to be able to do the same, being in the cabin. Even with gas, the tractor heart of compactwane is in no hurry to give herself out: noise insulation in the car is excellent.

The 100 horsepower stated in the technical characteristics of 100, the impressive indicator cannot be called. But this is a diesel! For heavy fuel engine, the power is secondary, the main indicator of the torque developed on the bottom. And 260 Newton-meters reached in the range from 1700 to 2550 revolutions per minute looked promising. But only on paper.

In reality, good traction indicators were smeared in the bowels of six assists. Although we definitely feel the diesel pickup, it is subjectively located just above the declared: somewhere around 3000 revolutions. But there is no need to enjoy the accelerated dynamics for a long time, the transmission quickly and very smoothly goes to the highest gears. Eh, here would be six -speed mechanics!

With regard to a family city car, a diesel tandem and a machine gun is justified. First of all, comfort and efficiency. Only now we could not check the latter, since there was no laying with the average fuel consumption on the display. Although in the price list of the new Opel Meriva, it says in black and white that the standard Cosmo equipment is included in the side computer, turning over the page, we found it in the list of options. In the cabin, we were explained that activation of route information requires a service computer intervention. Doubt, of course, well, and God be with him. Even on paper, diesel is at least 25% more economical than its gasoline turbo-colleague with a manual box.

I liked the stable behavior of the German compactwane on the road, especially on the high -speed line: clear rebuilding without frightening rolls and indifference to minor disadvantages of the roadway. Only the steering wheel poured with excessive weight, forced the driver to use more efforts to him than we would like.

The glorious car turned out. A strong middle peasant in the compactwan class, the new Opel Meriva was able to stand out from the crowd of his own unusual openness. Yes, and an attractive price, will definitely warm up interest in a talented family man.

About Opel Meriva prices
The compactiven is delivered to the Russian market in three trim levels with two engines: gasoline - a volume of 1.4 liters (100 or 140 hp) and diesel - a volume of 1.7 liters (100 or 110 hp). For the basic 589,000 rubles, you can get a 100-horsepower gasoline measure in the execution of Essentia. For 690,000 rubles, the buyer receives an increase in 40 horsepower, an additional step in the transmission and an more interesting Enjoy set. And the top execution of Cosmo with the same engine and box will pull 731,000 rubles.

The price of a car with a heavy fuel engine, a mechanical six -speed transmission and a good Enjoy equipment starts from 763,500 rubles. The tested version of Cosmo with diesel and automatic, supplemented by regular navigation, knowing Russian roads, adaptive headlights, rain and light sensors, and metallic metallic packet and color pulled 894,000 rubles.

Separately, I would like to note the sufficient basic equipment of Essentia, deprived of only air conditioning (+17 500 rubles) and radio (+ 7,500 rubles). However, taking into account the overall availability of additional options, the prices for which look very tempting, to collect optimal equipment will not be difficult.

We liked it in Opel Meriva
Road resistance, economical engine, swing rear doors

We didn't like it in Opel Meriva
Appearance, engine dynamics
 

Competitors Opel Meriva in the Russian market:
Renault Scenic
Citroen C3 Picasso
 
The car was provided for the test by Atlant-M Lakhta, an official Opel dealer.

Author: Ilya Ogorodnikov
Photo: Roman Ostanin




 

Source: Wheel magazine [August 2011]