New Opel Meriva MPV Spotted Out in the Open

True, GM's European arm has officially revealed the new Opel Meriva but we couldn't pass the opportunity to share with you these 'real-life' photographs of the small MPV that was bagged by our man with the long lens in Germany. You can read the full story on the 2010 Meriva here, but as a reminder, Opel's Citroen C3 Picasso rival that features rear-hinged back doors will make its first public outing at the Geneva Motor Show in March.

At launch, it will be marketed with six engines offering a power bandwidth from 75 HP to 140 HP and a choice of 5 and 6-speed manual transmissions (depending on the engine) as well as a 6-speed automatic gearbox

According to Opel, fuel consumption has been reduced by an average of 15 percent compared with the current generation Meriva.

Designed and developed at Opel's engineering center in Rüsselsheim, Germany, the new Meriva will be built at GM's plant in Zaragoza, Spain and is scheduled to go on sale across Europe this summer.

Categories: Geneva Motor Show, Opel, Opel Meriva, Opel Scoops, Scoops

2010 Opel Meriva MPV First Photographs - Snapped Completely Undisguised!

Just last week, we brought you a set of photos showing the new Opel Meriva small MPV with its rear-hinged back doors wide open. Now this time, our man with the long lens has really outdone himself snagging a 2010 Meriva test car without a single trace of camouflage! These new pictures give us our best look at the five-seater minivan that's clearly inspired by the 2008 Meriva concept while sharing many styling cues with both the Insignia and the new Astra hatchback.

Aside from suicide rear doors with the front-mounted handles that are said to open to a 90-degree angle to the body, another distinguishing feature of the new Meriva is its unusual glasshouse design that incorporates a downward kink at the back doors just behind the B-pillar.

Although we don't have any photos of the Meriva's front end, previous spy shots suggest a similar treatment to the latest Astra with wing-shaped headlights and Opel's family grille.

In other aspects, the new Meriva will be slightly longer than the current model while engine choices at launch will include 1.4-liter and 1.6-liter naturally aspirated gasoline units with outputs of 100HP and 115HP respectively as well as GM's new 140HP 1.4-liter turbo. The diesel lineup will most likely comprise of 1.3-liter, 1.7-liter and 2.0-liter CDTIs.

Designed to compete against small MPVs like the Citroen C3 Picasso and Kia Venga, the Opel / Vauxhall Meriva is expected to make its world premiere at next March's Geneva Salon with European sales following shortly after.

Categories: Opel, Opel Meriva, Opel Scoops, Scoops

SCOOP: New Opel Meriva MPV Caught with its Rear Suicide Doors Wide Open!

No more hiding and trick camouflage for the new Meriva as our spies finally managed to snap Opel's new small MPV with its rear-hinged back doors open wide confirming once and for all that the production model will indeed keep the 'FlexDoors' of the 2008 Geneva Show concept car. Both rear doors of the five-seater MPV will open a full 90 degrees away from the body but unlike most models with suicide style back doors, the Meriva maintains a central B-pillar.

It is expected that like the concept model, passengers can open the rear doors even when the front doors are closed but only when the vehicle is stationary.

A closer look at the spy photos reveals that the 2010 Meriva, which will be sold in Great Britain with the Vauxhall logo, will be fitted with three individual seats at the rear that can be separately folded down to increase luggage capacity or/and pushed inwards and backwards to create more legroom.

Albeit toned down, the production model's exterior styling remains close to that of the 2008 concept. Even the unusual kink in the rear window line that promises to improve the view of the rear passengers has been retained. The Meriva also incorporates plenty of design cues from both the new Astra and Insignia.

Earlier spy shots suggest that the Meriva will get a dashboard similar in design to the one found in the latest Astra with four deeply placed gauges in the instrument cluster.

Based on a slightly larger platform with a longer wheelbase and wider tracks than the current model, the new Meriva will benefit from the 2010 Astra's revised engine lineup.

The gasoline range will include 1.4-liter and 1.6-liter naturally aspirated engines with outputs of 100HP and 115HP respectively as well as GM's new 1.4-liter turbocharged producing 140HP. A sporty OPC version with a 1.6-liter turbo pushing out 180HP or more will also be offered at a later stage.

As for the diesel lineup, the initial range is expected to include 1.3-liter, 1.7-liter and 2.0-liter CDTIs.

With the Frankfurt Motor Show long gone, the world debut of the Meriva will most likely take place at next year's Geneva Salon in March, before going on sale across Europe at the end of Spring.

Categories: Opel, Opel Meriva, Opel Scoops, Scoops, Vauxhall

Spied: 2011 Opel Meriva SUV with AWD in the Works

Think the next-generation 2010 Meriva with its rear 'suicide doors' is all Opel has to offer in the subcompact MPV segment? Think again. Here's proof that General Motor's European unit is working on an SUV variant of its minivan that could go into production as early as 2011. The early test mule seen in these spy pictures combines a modified body shell of the current subcompact minivan with the chassis of the new Meriva that is scheduled itself to go on sale in 2010.

A closer look at these pictures reveals that aside from the jacked-up ride height, the prototype also features wider track. Expect to see the Meriva SUV being offered in both front-wheel and all-wheel drive forms. As for the engine range, the 'soft-roader' will be offered with the same variety of diesel and gasoline units as the standard Meriva including a 1.4-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder petrol unit with outputs ranging from 120 hp to 140 HP.

The new Meriva SUV will most likely feature a beefed-up look with raised height and the traditional 'off-road' styling cues like muscular wheelarches, heavy body cladding, larger roof rails and unique bumpers that will help to differentiate it from the standard car.

Categories: Opel, Opel Meriva, Scoops

New Opel Meriva MPV with Suicide Rear Doors Spied

The development of the next-generation Opel Meriva is moving ahead as planned with the German automaker removing more and more camouflage off the prototype models. In these latest scoop photos, the prototype Meriva has lost the confusing chequered black and white taping revealing many details on its design. Even though Opel has attempted to mislead us with a pair of fake rear-door handles, the new Meriva will retain the 2008 Geneva Show car's rear-hinged suicide doors called FlexDoors.

While the front doors are conventionally designed with front hinges, the Meriva's rear doors swing open towards the back of the car to a 90-degree angle. Another feature of the FlexDoors is that the front and rear doors can open independently of each other. GM's people support that the patented FlexDoors will make the Meriva more comfortable, versatile and safer than the current model.

The new Meriva will borrow several design cues from the Insignia including the front-end styling and the delta-wing blade on its flanks. While it won't be as exciting as the concept study, Opel's second-generation mini-MPV looks like it will be far more stylish than today's Meriva.

Same goes for the interior that is stylistically inspired from - you guessed it- the Insignia. Even though the car's design was a high-priority, GM did not forget about the Meriva's functional and practical side. Among other features, the 2010 Meriva will be equipped with Opel's variable FlexSpace rear seating system that allows the transformation of the vehicle from a five-seater to a four, three, two or even single seat vehicle without the need to remove seats.

The 2010 Meriva will adopt the latest version of GM's Gama platform sharing many of its underpinning with the new Corsa. It is expected that the new Meriva will grow in size offering improved space for passengers and their luggage.

While we don't have the full Monty on the powertrain options, it is anticipated that apart from the usual gasoline and diesel engines found in the Corsa, the new Meriva will also be available with GM's brand-new 1.4-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder petrol unit with outputs ranging from 120 hp to 140 HP.

Unlike its chief rivals that include the Honda Jazz and Citroen C3 Picasso, the Meriva's range will also feature a high-performance OPC version powered by a turbocharged 1.6-liter gasoline unit with an output of around 180-horsepower.

Sales of the new Meriva will begin in Europe in 2010. As for any chances seeing the Meriva in the U.S., for the time being, your guess is as good as ours.

Categories: Frankfurt Motor Show, Opel, Opel Meriva, Opel OPC, Opel Scoops, Saturn, Scoops, Vauxhall