Opel Meriva - Eat, drink & be Meriva

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 clearly illustrates how our new Opel design language can be adapted to create bold, fresh design solutions for the monocab segment" says Mark Adams, Vice President of Design, General Motors Europe. The body also boasts the distinctive "blade" bodyside form, which was a design element of the GTC Coupé and Flextreme. Another feature is the U-shaped windshield, which stretches up and back over the rear passengers' heads. Rear section elements - in particular the rear lights - echo the Insignia, Opel's new upper mid-size class car due to be unveiled in the summer. The monocab's roof slopes gently downward towards the rear, underlining its dynamic character.

"The FlexDoors concept is a logical enhancement of our monocabs' flexibility," explains Alain Visser, Chief Marketing Officer, General Motors Europe. "With the Zafira's Flex7® seating system and the Meriva's FlexSpace concept, we took on a similar pioneering role in interior flexibility." Opel is enjoying great success with its monocab designs: in 2007, almost 335,000 Zafira and Meriva models were sold. And with the new Agila, monocab expert Opel now also offers an entry-level monocab in the mini-car segment. Every fifth Opel model sold today is a monocab, while in the total market it is just every eighth car.