8.1.2004
Meriva awarded Belgium's "VAB-Family Car of 2004"

Organized by Belgium's "Vlaamse Automobilistenbond" (VAB), the Opel Meriva has been awarded the title of "VAB-Family Car of 2004".

This annual award is organized by the "Vlaamse Automobilistenbond" (VAB) with 850,000 affiliated vehicles and is particularly significant as it is granted by a jury consisting of twenty-five automotive journalists and thirty families and their children.

The Opel Meriva scored higher (418 points) than the Mazda 2 (332 points) and the Nissan Micra and Suzuki Ignis which came joint third (306 points).

The Meriva was unanimously voted the winner in its relative price category and its favorable size and interior space ratio were noted as important factors. Thanks to the ingenious FlexSpace system, the Meriva has a modular interior with sliding and folding rear seats allowing the user to switch at will between maximum seating capacity and maximum load space.

Available since spring 2003, the Opel Meriva has already attracted over 100,000 customers in Western Europe. Last November, Opel's minivan won a similar award in Sweden when the magazine MotorFöraren awarded it the title of "Family Car of the Year 2003", recognition awarded by a jury of 11 car journalists from the daily press and periodicals.