Opel appears to be quite far in the development of the next Meriva mini MPV. These spy shots were taken during what seems to be a crash impact test. They show the unibody shell and the doors and its liftgate fitted. One stand out feature revealed in these photos is the tail lamp shape.
Upon closer inspection we also see Opel's FlexDoor system in place, indicating that the Meriva concept of 2008 was successful in convincing Opel bosses of the merits of this door layout. FlexDoor is unique in that the rear doors open rearward instead of opening outwards toward the front. The closeup photo clearly shows this with the door handle mounted towards the forward edge of the door.
The Meriva has been a class leader in versatility since its launch in 2002. FlexDoor is another innovation from the likeable little people mover. Previously the Meriva was based on the Corsa platform and there's no reason why this should not still be the case. The car is expected to make its public showing at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2009, or possibly even as early as Geneva next March.
giga_games
December 18, 2008 5:11 PM
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