Embrace life - and the Opel Meriva too

Brian O'Loughlin brian@anglocelt.ie The Opel Meriva seems like a sensible family car but that sensuous kink in the doors suggests otherwise. The designers wanted to attract attention to those doors, because they've done something special with them... the rear ones open the wrong way! The wrong way sounds wrong really, but it's the right way when you think about it... Have a look at the Coyle family from Ballyhaise in the photo and see how it makes sense. They were enjoying an afternoon at the swimming pool in Cavan last Thursday when The Anglo-Celt asked them to have a look at the car and its unique doors. Mum Jennifer agreed that they are a good idea and the Meriva was a comfortable car; 10-year-old Fainche was more interested in having her photo in the Celt and the two little Spidermen, Ethan (six) and Colin (four), just wanted to get to the pool. But the car embraced them as it sat there on the driveway at the leisure centre, the two doors open in a welcoming manner, sheltering them from the elements and encouraging them to get in. There's a sense of occasion too with the new Meriva, which replaces a car that was a European class-topper for seven years. You could imagine someone with royal blood or a Hollywood star stepping elegantly through that rear door on to a red carpet. It makes so much sense to arrange car doors that way, but Opel had to overcome some serious technical challenges to make it realistic, especially on the safety front. It has achieved that now and it's ready for customers to 'Embrace Life', as it calls the movie it made to promote the Meriva. The phrase also appears on the advertising literature and the brochures, so Opel is making the most of it. But it's not all about the fancy doors, of course. The Meriva is a great family car from most points of view. The test version from Donnery Opel, an SC, employed a fantastic 1.3 litre CDTi engine developing 75bhp (the GM/Fiat Multijet unit), though it felt like a 1.5 litre. It pulled well on all kinds of roads and zipped along smoothly with little road noise or other cabin intrusions. The seats raise you high enough to give good views of the road and there's a wrap-around effect in the dashboard for the driver, which cossets... or embraces (there's that word again) you. The practical side of things continues inside, where there's lots of useful storage (including stylish rails on the centre console that go back between the front seats and help to stop stuff rolling around), flexible seating and comfort and convenience for everyone on board, front and back. Back outside again, and it's that door kink that catches the eye first, though the headlamps run it close in the attention-grabbing stakes. Overall the Meriva is stylish enough to stand out, and practical enough to make lots of sense. It's available from €19,995 and will provide a stern challenge to the Nissan Note or Ford C-Max. Call Donnery Opel on 049-4331999 for more information and a test run.