Opel Meriva

There aren't many compact multi-purpose vehicles (MPV) in Singapore to choose from and this Meriva really stood out from the rest with its rearward-opening doors and its cute looks that remind me of the Astra.

I really like the door feature as it makes strapping in your children in their child seats would be a lot more accessible. The quality of the interior also feels slightly more upmarket than some Japanese makes. However, the centre console looks like it came out of an aeroplane. It looks pretty messy with the amount of buttons fitted.

Driving the Meriva is easy, handles quite alright for an MPV althought it requires a slightly heavier foot to really get it going. Transmission is smooth and the 6-speed gearbox probably translates into the 13.9km/l fuel economy as stated on paper. In a nutshell, the Meriva looks and feels like a nice car to own in urban Singapore.