What's the news?
The Opel Meriva has undergone a facelift and, though Irish details have yet to be confirmed, it is expected to be on sale in time for the '141' plate in January 2014. Alongside its new look is a new diesel engine, making Opel's compact MPV as green as it is stylish.
Exterior
The styling updates on the Meriva are found mostly around the front end; with its new grille the most obvious change from the outgoing version. Also new are the headlamps, while the front fog lamps now come with a chrome surround - and LED daytime running lights and taillights can be specified for the first time on this model. The options list also contains new 18-inch alloy wheels.
Interior
Happily, Opel has left the Meriva's clever cabin alone. Access is still via the FlexDoors system featuring regular front doors coupled with rear-hinged back doors; making it easier to load luggage and children. Thanks to the Meriva's FlexSpace system, the car is adequately equipped to deal with them too, as the rear seats have a vast range of adjustability to accommodate most items.
Mechanicals
The new 1.6-litre CDTi diesel engine in the Meriva recently made its world debut in the Zafira Tourer at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The unit will replace the existing 1.7-litre CDTi powerplant yet is more efficient and more powerful despite the smaller capacity. The Euro 6 compliant engine develops 136hp and 320Nm of torque, yet still manages 64.2mpg on the combined cycle and emits just 116g/km of CO2 - a 10 per cent improvement over the old 1.7-litre unit. The benefits don't stop there either, as the new engine manages to shift the Meriva from 0-100km/h in 9.1 seconds - almost a second quicker than the old engine.
Anything else?
We've driven the new 1.6-litre engine in the Zafira Tourer. Click here for that review.