Opel have adopted the word Flex in relation to their Meriva family car calling it the 'Flexibility Champion' with its FlexDoors, FlexSpace, FlexRail, and even an integrated FlexFix bicycle carrier, writes Trish Whelan. The 'Flex' idea was inaugurated way back when the brand's first compact MPV, Zafira, offered the first 7-seat option in the segment.
Let's start with the FlexDoors, which to me are the car's main selling point. This feature allows both side doors to open backwards almost 90 degrees, making getting in and out so very easy for young and old. They really do provide huge access to the rear seats.
A parent can use them to shield a small child in the safety zone between themselves and the rear hinged door while they buckle a smaller child into its seat. Handy grip handles on the B-Pillars help a lot. These doors can open individually without having to open the front side ones first.
The FlexRail is a modular storage system located between the front seats. Aluminium rails provide storage for lots of things; even handbags, notebooks, or cupholders. A handy device. But I wouldn't leave a bag there in full view as that's as bad as leaving it on the passenger seat when driving.
Opel's FlexSpace seating system allows you to arrange the interior whatever way you want; whether you need to have five seats or require space for bulky items. Or you can use it to slide the outer rear seats backwards and inwards to give big leg in a 4-seater configuration.
The Flex Floor allows you set the load compartment floor at two different levels depending on the height of what you need to carry. There's also a neat storage area on each side for odds and ends; but the wheelwell below in my test car didn't have a spare.
A FlexFix rear carrier system takes two bicycles and is unique to Opel.
Opel claim that there are up to 32 storage possibilities in the car ... a place for almost everything. I don't dispute the claim.
Now to style, and the Meriva is quite a good looker. Tall and with very high doors. I especially like the wave feature on the rear side windows while the low windows provide great visibility.
My review car was the SE 1.4i turbo 5-door MPV. You can get into a basic Meriva for €20,000 but the powertrain and additional extras on my car brought the price to €29,149 which makes it seem expensive for its size. Competitors include the Toyota Verso S with sliding side doors, Hyundai ix20, Kia Venga, Honda Jazz, Renault Modus, and Nissan Note.
However, you do get a long list of items at the this SE level Meriva, like a panoramic glass roof with electric blind, 16-inch alloys, front fogs, privacy glass, a trip computer, all electric windows, the front sliding centre storage module with armrest and lid. You also get a full complement of airbags, ESP, air conditioning, cruise control, remote audio controls, driver's seat height adjustment, and ISOFIX child seat anchors. The test car also had Bluetooth voice activation.
The €5,454 worth of extras included front and rear parking sensors, sat nav, metallic paint, hill start assist, a leather pack with the ergonomic sports front seats, dual zone climate control, and 8-inch alloy wheels, among others.
The 1.4 petrol engine produces a useful 120hp, thanks to turbo charging, as Opel is following other makers including Volkswagen in using such methods to get the best out of small capacity engines. There's also a long travel on the clutch which you get used to after a while. I also felt it would have benefitted from a sixth gear. All that said, I enjoyed my lengthy test time with the car.
The Meriva takes 11.5 seconds for the 0-100km/h trip and has a combined fuel economy cycle of 6.1 L/100kms (46.3mpg) and with C02 emissions of 143g/km is in Band C with an annual road tax of €302.
Certainly an option to be considered.
