What's the news?
The Vauxhall Meriva has undergone a facelift and is set to go on sale in its updated form in November. Alongside its new look is a new diesel engine, making Vauxhall'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, Vauxhall 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 0-62mph in 9.1 seconds - almost a second quicker than the old engine.
Anything else?
While order books for the new Meriva open next month, first deliveries aren't expected until January 2014. The updated car also comes with Vauxhall's Lifetime Warranty at no extra cost.
James Giddings - 9 Oct 2013
