The Opel Meriva Concept was unveiled two days ago at the Geneva Motor Show. At the unveiling GM announced that new small hatchback could be included in the Saturn lineup in the United States.
The Opel Meriva is a four-seat, front-wheel-drive hatchback intended to replace the current Meriva, a top seller in Europe. The concept car unveiled here is built on a derivative of two of GM’s small-vehicle architectures.
Kempf declined to comment on whether the car would be the basis for a future small car for Saturn. Saturn now shares several products with Opel — including the newest car to Saturn’s lineup, the compact Astra.
GM executives familiar with Saturn’s lineup say the vehicle is being considered for the United States. But GM first must assess whether a business case can be made to bring a hatchback to the United States, where hatchbacks typically have not been big sellers.
Jon Lauckner, GM’s vice president of global program management, says, " These vehicles have a role in the European market because there is not a big crossover segment there. In the U.S., it’s a different story."
2008 Opel Meriva Concept Picture Gallery
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With the dynamically styled Meriva Concept, Opel presents the next level of monocab flexibility at the International Motor Show in Geneva (March 6 – 16, 2008). The concept car features rear-hinged rear doors on both sides of the car called FlexDoors. While the front doors are conventionally designed with front hinges, the rear doors swing open towards the back of the car. Another feature of the family-oriented Meriva Concept is that the front and rear doors can open independently of each other. Rear-hinged rear doors already on the market can only be opened after the front door has been opened, which severely limits their practicality.
FlexDoors smooth operation is backed up by an array of patented innovations developed by GM/Opel engineers. A safety system ensures the doors can only be opened from the inside or outside when there is no risk to the passengers. The Meriva Concept also features an automatic electronic child lock, which supplements the conventional mechanical system. The concept car also has B-pillars not only for independent opening but also for side-impact safety reasons.
The Meriva Concept’s design is distinguished by its attractive combination of practicality and spaciousness with very dynamic and cool styling. The concept car’s distinctive window line, arched roof, wide track and impressively sculpted body give a good indication of what is to be expected from future Opel production monocabs.
>> read 2008 Opel Meriva Concept Picture Gallery
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Opel will unveil the Meriva Concept next week at the Geneva Motor Show. After the first official teaser image unveiled by Opel, today the first official images surfaced online.
The Meriva’s rear doors open to a 90-degree angle, creating a much wider aperture than standard car doors. Thanks to the high roofline, rear passengers also have more headroom when getting in and out of the car. The interior is much more accessible, so stowing a briefcase behind the front seat, for instance, is considerably easier.
Opel Meriva Concept - first official images Picture Gallery
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At the Geneva Motor Show Opel will unveil the concept version of the 2009 Meriva. The production version will compete with the Volkswagen Golf Plus, the MINI Clubman and Ford’s upcoming Fiesta-based MPV.
The production version will be inspired by the Flextreme Concept unveiled last year at the Frankfurt Motor Show. At the front, the model has the same pronounced grille, faired-in headlights and raised bonnet edges – a look that will also appear on the Vectra-replacing Insignia.
Under the hood there will be a range of engines including the 1.3-litre and 1.7-litre CDTI diesels and a 1.6-litre turbo petrol.
More details will follow after the Geneva launch.
Opel has just announced today that they unveil the Meriva Concept at the Geneva Motor Show, and AutoExpress revealed a few renderings of the next generation Meriva, a model that will come to compete with Volkswagen Golf Plus, the MINI Clubman and Ford’s upcoming Fiesta-based MPV.
The 2009 Meriva will be inspired by the Flextreme concept unveiled last year at the Frankfurt Motor Show. At the front, the model has the same pronounced grille, faired-in headlights and raised bonnet edges – a look that will also appear on the Vectra-replacing Insignia.
It will borrow the suspensions from the new Corsa and under the hood there will be a range of engines including the 1.3-litre and 1.7-litre CDTI diesels and a 1.6-litre turbo petrol. All models will be offered with stop-start technology to help to improve fuel economy and reduce CO2 emissions.
Sales will begin in early 2009.
With the Meriva Concept, Opel presents the next level of monocab flexibility at the International Motor Show in Geneva (March 6 – 16, 2008). The vision of a future small monocab – a segment that the current Meriva has led since its launch in 2003 –boasts more than just new design cues: “We’re unveiling an innovative approach for even greater flexibility in Opel monocabs,” says Alain Visser, Chief Marketing Officer, GM Europe, before the concept’s debut in Geneva.
With the Zafira’s Flex7 seating system and the Meriva’s FlexSpace concept, we began a new era in interior variability and permanently changed the world of the automobile.” With Zafira, Meriva and soon Agila, Opel is enjoying great success with its monocab design – body models where the hood and trunk are not visibly separate from the cabin. Almost 335,000 segment-leading Zafira and Meriva models were sold in 2007. Every fifth Opel model sold today is a monocab, while in the whole market the quota is just every eighth car.
The Meriva Concept transfers the brand’s new design language to a small monocab and enhances it further. The side profile boasts the distinctive tick-shaped swage line, which was a typical design cue which appeared on the GTC Coupé and Flextreme concepts. Especially eye-catching is the sweep in the window line level at the B-pillar, enabling an especially good view for rear passengers. Rear section elements – in particular the rear lights – echo the Insignia, Opel’s new mid-size class car due to be launched in the fall. The monocab’s roof sloping gently downward toward the rear underlines the car’s dynamic character.
Best in low defect rate category/Other Opel models climb in rankings in 2007 Opel Managing Director Demant: “Our quality initiative is clearly reaping rewards”
The Opel Meriva has achieved the lowest defect rate in the TÜV report 2007. Introduced in 2003 and now tested for the first time (first general inspection is three years after initial registration), the minivan immediately established itself as the top performer in this quality check. 113 different models with ages up (...)
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The Opel Meriva added a new dimension to the minivan segment when it was introduced in May 2003, and has been market leader in Europe since then. The Meriva goes into 2006 with a new design and new engines, plus an extended range of technological features. The new edition of the compact minivan is now available at dealerships, as is the all-new high-performance version, the Meriva OPC with 180 turbo hp. Prices for the spacious and multi-variable five-seater, which has sold more than 500,000 since its debut, start at 14,520 euros in Germany.
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The multi-variable five-seater with 180-hp turbo engine and a top speed of 137 mph is not only a new variant in the Opel model range, it also creates a sporty minivan segment.
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