Opel continues the celebration for its 150th anniversary with the introduction of a special trim package for its Corsa, Meriva, Astra and Insignia models, dubbed ‘150 Year Opel’.

With this celebrative package, both Corsa and Meriva will get 16″ wheels, tinted rear glass, fog lights, heated steering wheel, cruise control, an MP3-CD stereo and an adjustable panoramic roof or sunroof with separate air conditioning for both the driver and the front passenger. whereas the Astra will get the same goodies but with a set 17″ rims. As for the Insignia, the package is completed by heated front seats, dual-zone climate control, a Navi 900 Europa info-tainment system, an electric sunroof and a glazed panoramic roof as well as 18″ alloys. Needless to say, the whole lot will also receive slew of anniversary-themed badges and finishing.

What makes the ‘150 Years Opel’ jubilee trim even more interesting is that it promises to be quite cheap, savings of up to 2,100 € over the usual price of the aforementioned extras. The jubilee trim packages start at 450 euro (recommended retail price in Germany including VAT). Depending on the model, they represent a cost saving of 876 euro.

via | CarFanaticsForum

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Again the MPV war in Europe heats up with the new Opel Zafira Tourer on the market. As we can see in the pic above, the upmarket Tourer version has a new-look Ampera front compared to the standard Zafira, which is definitely a whole lot sexier (and yes, we know we’re talking about an MPV). The Tourer also gets extra goodies like Opel’s Flex7 seating arrangement, FlexRide electronic suspension control and a whole series of safety features which you can see here.

We wonder where that leaves the standard Opel Zafira in the future in the lineup. The more compact Meriva recently got a restyling and the Zafira Tourer might in the future become the one large MPV model as the standard model slowly drops off the list. All of that of course will depend on price and just how much customers want the fancier elements of the Tourer.

Autobild says the Opel Zafira price for 2012 starts at 23,000 euros which is pretty damn reasonable. They’ve got no word on the Tourer price though, meaning we don’t know what kind of premium it has and how the dynamics between the two models will pan out. The Tourer will be officially presented at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show.

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The new Opel Meriva looks like it’s going to enjoy an early sales boom, with 30,000 orders apparently already placed across Europe to buy the MPV. Opel has high expectations for its new Meriva, planning to sell 130,000 units a year starting from 2011 and these 30,000, with sales starting only this month, is a nice little introduction to market for the van. After the Autocar Meriva review, we can say that it’s a solid offering, but it’s hardly exceptional. The Meriva will have to rely on its practicality and pricing compared to competitors to give it the edge in the market.

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Here is another 90-second verdict from Autocar on the Opel Meriva and I’m glad to see that everyday cars like the Meriva still feature in these kinds of video tests. I will admit that the Opel Meriva doesn’t excite me in the least, but then I’m hardly in the market for a people mover, mini-van thing for my kids.

The Opel Meriva, while full of nice innovative touches, is also a very a practical vehicle - the name of the game in this segment. It has plenty of space inside, the boot is very roomy and the driver can enjoy easily placed controls and a ‘mature’ driving feel. There is a bit of a question mark over the FlexDoors which to me always seemed like Opel was trying too hard to give us something cute. Apart from that, value for money is a big winner and that could be the killer for the Meriva competitors.

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The 2010 Opel Corsa, Flextreme GT/E electric concept, final version Opel Ampera and the new Opel Meriva all appeared at the Opel stand at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show. While the Opel Ampera with its range extending technology is now ready for its 2011 roll-out, the Flextreme GT/E represents another new electric-based model for Opel. It also uses the EREV architecture with range extending principles, using an electric motor with 163 hp, 16 Kw lithium batteries and a 1.4-litre engine with 72 hp. It has a total range of 500 km and an average fuel consumption of 1.6 l/100 km, with CO2 emissions of 40 g/km.

The new Opel Meriva with its Flexdoors is also on show at Geneva, displaying a vehicle that is taking on more ‘people mover’ features on a model that while larger, is still classed as a compact MPV. Also on display is the new 2010 Opel Corsa which, with its new makeover, should only continue the success of one of Europe’s most popular cars.

Opel stand live pics Geneva

Continue reading: Live at Geneva: new Opel Meriva, Corsa, Opel Ampera and Flextreme GT/E concept

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The new Opel Meriva has debuted, with these first official Meriva pics showing the compact people mover in its production version. It is based on the Meriva concept car from the 2008 Geneva motor show, and will be available on the European market in summer.

The 2010 Meriva will be slightly larger in dimension than the model it’s replacing, particular in terms of interior space. The famous FlexDoors are the biggest novelty on the new model, for excellent access in and out of the car, while the rear doors can still function independently.

The interior also features a “FlexSpace” function for rapid changing of the distribution of the interior, and a rear “FlexFix” system, previously seen on the Opel Corsa and Antara, enables for easy carriage of bicycles. It will also appear on the new Opel Astra.

Opel Meriva 2010

Continue reading: Opel Meriva official pics

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The new Opel Meriva has been revealed in these leaked pics that seem to be official. The new Meriva look is similar to that of the Meriva Concept Car presented at the 2008 Geneva motor show, with book-opening doors and a glass roof. The engine line-up will range from 75 to 140 hp, with both turbo petrol and turbo diesel models. An efficient EcoFlex version will be available, and production of the new Meriva will kick off in March, after its official presentation at the 2010 Geneva motor show.

Source | AutoWeek.nl

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The Opel Meriva appears in these spy shots completely camouflaged, compared to the Astra, where we’ve already got an idea of what it will look like. The Meriva’s debut date is still unknown, and these shots certainly don’t reveal much.

The only thing that can be appreciated by fans at the moment, are the book-style door opening, different to the concept car. The external look, especially at the front, is particularly changed, with a larger dimension.

Source | Autoblog.nl (Thanks to “spang!” for the tip)

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GM has officially announced the Opel/Vauxhall Meriva Concept that will be shown in Geneva next week.

The Meriva concept is a very different beast from the current Meriva, with its FlexDoors system (rear hinged doors). According to GM, the b-pillars “have been retained for passive security reasons”, a phrase that seems to point to a production-ready car.

Continue reading: Opel Meriva Concept - the official announcement

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Some photos of the Opel Meriva Concept surfaced today. The small MPV features rear-hinged rear doors that can open to a 90° degree angle. If you put together the presence of the b-pillars and the sober interiors, the Meriva Concept looks pretty much ready for production.

Via | Carscoop

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