Opel Meriva 1.4 Turbo 120 CV, test drive (part III)

This week we have brought you the test drive of the Opel Meriva. On this occasion we got to try the 1.4 Turbo petrol engine with 120 CV paired with a five-speed manual gearbox. The Meriva stands out for its handling, but its engine does not live up to the rest of the package in terms of performance and fuel consumption as we mentioned in the first part of the test.

While in the second part we focused on both the exterior and interior design, on the outside, the rear doors were a novelty opening against the direction of travel, and on the inside we find a very practical and spacious MPV. And now, as usual, we arrive at the third part of the test, where we will talk about the equipment of the Meriva, both standard and that of our unit, which came with the Cosmo trim (the highest in the range). We will also look at the prices of the Meriva and our overall assessment of the model.

Equipment

When it comes to equipment, we always start with safety, which is essential nowadays. In this area, the Meriva comes as standard with front airbags and stability control, but in this trim side and head airbags are optional (an area for improvement, at least the side airbags, which come as standard on most new vehicles). We do not have the results of the Euro NCAP tests, but the previous generation had achieved four stars, so we assume this one will meet similar or better safety standards.

Moving on to the rest of the equipment, we find some gaps in the base Essentia trim, as it includes central locking with remote, electric front windows, and electric heated door mirrors, but it does not have a CD-MP3 radio or air conditioning, which are added at the next level, Enjoy (probably one of the best balanced in terms of price/equipment).

In fact, the Enjoy trim adds to the previous one side and curtain airbags, a central armrest rail, on-board computer, cruise control, CD 300 radio with multifunction display and steering wheel controls, active front headrests, air conditioning, among other features. Finally, we have our trim, the Cosmo, which adds climate control, fog lights, various exterior chrome details, among other features.

Among the optional extras fitted to our Meriva, the good performance of the CD 500 navigation system stands out, and it also had a USB port. We were also struck by the good lighting provided by its halogen headlights and, as a curiosity, the light sensor (visibility pack) is considerably faster than the xenon lights we have tested on other models Opel such as the Astra or the Insignia.

Price (excluding promotions)

• Meriva Essentia 1.4 Turbo 100 CV 15,265 EUR
• Meriva Essentia 1.3 CDTI 75 CV 16,280 EUR
• Meriva Essentia 1.3 CDTI 95 CV 16,890 EUR
• Meriva Enjoy 1.4 Turbo 100 CV 16,610 EUR
• Meriva Enjoy 1.4 Turbo 120 CV 17,425 EUR
• Meriva Enjoy 1.3 CDTI 95 CV 18,240 EUR
• Meriva Enjoy 1.7 CDTI 110 CV 18,8850 EUR
• Meriva Enjoy 1.7 CDTI 100 CV auto. 19,915 EUR
• Meriva Cosmo 1.4 Turbo 120 CV 18,875 EUR
• Meriva Cosmo 1.4 Turbo 140 CV 19,890 EUR
• Meriva Cosmo 1.7 CDTI 110 CV 20,300 EUR
• Meriva Cosmo 1.7 CDTI 130 CV 20,810 EUR
• Meriva Cosmo 1.7 CDTI 100 CV auto. 21,365 EUR

Our unit was a Opel Meriva Cosmo with the 1.4 Turbo engine of 120 CV with the following extras: 17″ alloy wheels, navigation, visibility pack and parking sensors. With all of this, the tested unit had a price of 21,333 euros (20,033 € with discounts).

Overall Assessment

When we started the test of the Opel Meriva we had to talk about its engine, and I believe this petrol powertrain is not the best choice for moving the Meriva, and it considerably undermines the model’s good handling. That is why we recommend going for the diesel range, where fuel consumption is more reasonable and the response is better.

However, it surprised us positively in its handling, proving to be more composed than it might appear and compared with other similar vehicles we have tested, such as the Citroën C3 Picasso. As for the interior space and its innovative doors, there is no doubt they can be practical, but it always depends on the surroundings. Again, I must note that they are not very comfortable doors when there is little opening space, such as in a bay parking space.

Inside, they have done a good job with materials, and no finish spoils the overall impression. There are also plenty of practical solutions, although some of them depend on the equipment level (such as the central storage compartment or the glove boxes under the front seats), but they are still very practical for families with children. And speaking of children, one of the advantages of its rear doors is the ease of fitting a child seat.

Finally, it sits in a fairly good price range, and at least it is justified. However, at the basic equipment levels we again encounter gaps that should not exist nowadays, such as front side airbags or the CD-MP3 radio.

Photos | David Taboada