24.5.2002
New Opel Meriva: Innovative, Versatile and Compact

Zafira's little brother, the clever space concept for modern living, will celebrate its world premiere at Paris Motor Show. Production at Opel's Zaragoza plant in Spain will start in early 2003.

Ingeniously versatile, a spacious interior and attractive design combined with compact exterior dimensions – meet the new Opel Meriva, which will celebrate its premiere at the Paris Motor Show at the end of September. Production is scheduled to begin at Opel's plant in Zaragoza, Spain, in early 2003. The newcomer is designed to repeat the success of the Zafira in the segment just below that of the best-selling Opel van. Both monocabs offer optimum convertibility between passenger and cargo capacity without the need to remove seats. While the larger Zafira – with its Flex7 seating system – can carry seven passengers in three rows, the new Opel Meriva can seat five in two rows. Thanks to the Meriva's new seating system, the rear seats can be adjusted individually to maximize passenger space and comfort.

The new Meriva will be offered initially with diesel and gasoline engines ranging from 1.6 to 1.8 liters (55 kW/75 hp to 92 kW/125 hp). Its most distinguishing feature is its revolutionary new rear seating system. As a five-seater, Zafira's little brother provides three seats in the rear. Converted to two rear seats, the Meriva (like its forerunner, the "Concept M" study which was presented at the Geneva Motor Show in March) becomes an exceptionally spacious four-seater in which all passengers enjoy as much leg and shoulder room as in a midsize sedan. In a few simple movements, anyone needing more load space can either push the two rear seats forward individually, or fold them away completely. The middle seat is simply tucked away in this configuration.

This clever space concept takes into account the fact that compact automobiles are most often occupied by only one or two people and rarely by more than four. The foundation for the Opel Meriva's exceptional flexibility is a wheelbase which, at 2630 millimeters, is almost as long as the Zafira's (2694 mm). The difference in overall vehicle length is more significant: At 4042 mm, the Meriva is 27.5 centimeters shorter than its big brother.

"With the Meriva we've come an important step closer to our goal of increasing the share of innovative automobile concepts in our model range to 40 percent," said Opel Chairman and Managing Director, Carl-Peter Forster. "Like the Zafira, the Meriva will define a new market segment for Opel and in so doing demonstrate the freshness and creative strength of our brand." At the same time, this new model closes the gap between the Agila and Zafira, the leaders in their respective market segments in Germany.

Hans H. Demant, Executive Director, Engineering: "The Meriva adds a new accent to Opel's design language. It clearly builds on the first class interior finish seen in the new Vectra and it shows that our engineers play a leading role worldwide when it comes to packaging, or the optimum use of interior space."

The Meriva concept was developed by Opel's International Technical Development Center (ITDC) in Rüsselsheim and GM do Brasil's Design and Engineering Center in Sao Paulo. The two models address the requirements of their respective markets, differing in powertrains, seating and features such as interior trim and equipment. The Chevrolet Meriva will be produced in the Brazilian Sao Jose dos Campos plant and will be launched in August 2002.