Sheriff
21st February 2006, 02:03 PM
www.4cars.co.uk
Date: 14 Febuary, 2006
By: Tom Bird
It should be a pig to drive...
This can't be right - a turbocharged compact MPV/hot-hatch that's actually a hoot to drive? I must be under the influence of something.
The mere idea of a Vauxhall Meriva fitted with a 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine putting 177bhp through the front wheels is laughable. This thing should, by all rights, by an absolute pig to drive. Amazingly it's not.
Distinguished from the regular family-man Meriva by some big bumpers with chav-spec front fogs, chunky 17" alloys and a trapezoid exhaust pipe, the Meriva VXR looks a bit like a grown-up Citroen C2 VTS - which is actually the sort of thing that Vauxhall hope its buyers will trade in for their latest halo model. Yes, this is a family wagon for the boy racer who'll use the boot for buggies and such-like, rather than filling it with subwoofers and amps galore.
Recaros in an MPV
There's even a set of Recaros up front that'll keep you tucked into the part-leather trim, no matter what hooligan antics you try to pull off round a McDonalds car park. The kids strapped into the rear might not appreciate it too much after a Happy Meal, but at least they'll be kept quiet with the optional twin-audio system (basically a set of headphones for each kid, allowing them to listen to a CD while you listen to the radio) or roof-mounted DVD-player.
That 1.6-litre turbo will wrench the Meriva VXR to 60mph in just 7.9secs and on to a top speed of 137mph - better than the aforementioned C2. You have to wring the neck of the engine though, with the 177bhp only arriving at a heady 5,500rpm. Torque is a reasonable 170lb-ft at 2,200rpm - with an extra 15% available on overboost - ie, if you drop a cog on the six-speed box and boot the loud pedal you'll be able to overtake dawdling traffic before you can say 'fixed penalty notice'.
It's a good job the brakes are suitably beefed-up to match the peppy engine - 308mm ventilated discs sit behind the front wheels and the rear discs work well off the handbrake if you ever find yourself wanting to perform a quick 180 - not that we'd ever condone such behaviour...
Immensely chuckable
The VXR's suspension is 30% stiffer and lower than the cooking Meriva, which means that the rollercoaster ride is banished, leaving you to enjoy the drive without losing your lunch. It grips well too - even on the winter tyres we were forced to use in frozen Germany - although the steering could give a bit more indication as to what's going on under the front wheels.
There's very little torque steer to speak of and although the ESP can't be switched off, it stays quiet until the last possible moment.
It's immensely chuckable - disguising its 1,330Kg figure well - and, overall, it is a rather good drive: you never feel that you're in a top-heavy compact MPV, more a spacious family hatch.
Buck the trend
There's more headroom than you'll ever have cause to need - unless you have a penchant for top hats or Marge Simpson haircuts - and any mixture of five adults / teenagers / OAPs / children will be able to sit comfortably. If you've not got the need for the full complement of seats in the back, you can drop the centre rear seat out of the way and bring the two outer seats in to give more elbow room. This also allows you to push the rear seats back into the boot area between the suspension turrets - thereby stopping the annoying blighters, sorry, precious cargo, kicking the backs of the front seats at every opportunity.
The £16,495 price tag is pretty good too - you won't find a faster compact MPV for the money. However, as the Meriva VXR is a bit of an oddball in its own right, it's not really a frumpy-looking family wagon - more a slightly left-field alternative to a high-spec Focus, mid-spec Golf, or even an entry-level 1-Series.
It'll be a damn sight more exclusive: Vauxhall only hope to sell 400 a year. So why not buck the trend and choose something a bit different - who wants to be a sheep all their life?
Date: 14 Febuary, 2006
By: Tom Bird
It should be a pig to drive...
This can't be right - a turbocharged compact MPV/hot-hatch that's actually a hoot to drive? I must be under the influence of something.
The mere idea of a Vauxhall Meriva fitted with a 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine putting 177bhp through the front wheels is laughable. This thing should, by all rights, by an absolute pig to drive. Amazingly it's not.
Distinguished from the regular family-man Meriva by some big bumpers with chav-spec front fogs, chunky 17" alloys and a trapezoid exhaust pipe, the Meriva VXR looks a bit like a grown-up Citroen C2 VTS - which is actually the sort of thing that Vauxhall hope its buyers will trade in for their latest halo model. Yes, this is a family wagon for the boy racer who'll use the boot for buggies and such-like, rather than filling it with subwoofers and amps galore.
Recaros in an MPV
There's even a set of Recaros up front that'll keep you tucked into the part-leather trim, no matter what hooligan antics you try to pull off round a McDonalds car park. The kids strapped into the rear might not appreciate it too much after a Happy Meal, but at least they'll be kept quiet with the optional twin-audio system (basically a set of headphones for each kid, allowing them to listen to a CD while you listen to the radio) or roof-mounted DVD-player.
That 1.6-litre turbo will wrench the Meriva VXR to 60mph in just 7.9secs and on to a top speed of 137mph - better than the aforementioned C2. You have to wring the neck of the engine though, with the 177bhp only arriving at a heady 5,500rpm. Torque is a reasonable 170lb-ft at 2,200rpm - with an extra 15% available on overboost - ie, if you drop a cog on the six-speed box and boot the loud pedal you'll be able to overtake dawdling traffic before you can say 'fixed penalty notice'.
It's a good job the brakes are suitably beefed-up to match the peppy engine - 308mm ventilated discs sit behind the front wheels and the rear discs work well off the handbrake if you ever find yourself wanting to perform a quick 180 - not that we'd ever condone such behaviour...
Immensely chuckable
The VXR's suspension is 30% stiffer and lower than the cooking Meriva, which means that the rollercoaster ride is banished, leaving you to enjoy the drive without losing your lunch. It grips well too - even on the winter tyres we were forced to use in frozen Germany - although the steering could give a bit more indication as to what's going on under the front wheels.
There's very little torque steer to speak of and although the ESP can't be switched off, it stays quiet until the last possible moment.
It's immensely chuckable - disguising its 1,330Kg figure well - and, overall, it is a rather good drive: you never feel that you're in a top-heavy compact MPV, more a spacious family hatch.
Buck the trend
There's more headroom than you'll ever have cause to need - unless you have a penchant for top hats or Marge Simpson haircuts - and any mixture of five adults / teenagers / OAPs / children will be able to sit comfortably. If you've not got the need for the full complement of seats in the back, you can drop the centre rear seat out of the way and bring the two outer seats in to give more elbow room. This also allows you to push the rear seats back into the boot area between the suspension turrets - thereby stopping the annoying blighters, sorry, precious cargo, kicking the backs of the front seats at every opportunity.
The £16,495 price tag is pretty good too - you won't find a faster compact MPV for the money. However, as the Meriva VXR is a bit of an oddball in its own right, it's not really a frumpy-looking family wagon - more a slightly left-field alternative to a high-spec Focus, mid-spec Golf, or even an entry-level 1-Series.
It'll be a damn sight more exclusive: Vauxhall only hope to sell 400 a year. So why not buck the trend and choose something a bit different - who wants to be a sheep all their life?