Road test: Vauxhall Meriva SE 1.6

Manufacturers don’t like scaring customers off by making their model revisions too radical so sometimes you have to look right under the skin of a new car to find what really makes it tick.

The impressive, versatile, new Vauxhall Meriva is such a car; it instantly looks different but you’re not sure how. It looks neat, compact and workmanlike. Two things play on your mind; it seems simultaneously both large and small, and the fact that the rear passenger doors are the “wrong” way, round, opening backwards not forwards. They are the signature style statement on the Meriva, underlying family-friendly credentials. What else is new for 2014?

The grille and headlamps are better looking. The biggest advance is the fine new 1.6-litre “Whisper” diesel offering a useful 134bhp and a claimed combined consumption of 64.2mpg. It’s going to prove a highly effective London family car.

Vauxhall Meriva SE 1.6
Top speed: 122mph;
MPG: 64.2;
Emissions: 116 g/km;
Price: from 12,620