Vauxhall Meriva MPV (2010-2017) - Engines, drive & performance
The Vauxhall Meriva’s suspension copes well with all but the deepest potholes
The Vauxhall Meriva is a surprisingly pleasant car to drive. The steering responds quickly to inputs from the driver, and even though it’s a fairly tall model, the Meriva doesn’t lean excessively when driving around corners. It’s comfortable too, with the supple suspension soaking up the worst of Britain’s roads and making long motorway journeys effortless.
Vauxhall Meriva petrol engines
Three 1.4-litre petrol engines are available in the Meriva range. The entry-level 99bhp version does without a turbocharger, and as a result performance suffers. It takes 14 seconds to reach 62mph from rest and needs to be worked very hard to make a motorway overtake.
The 118bhp version is better. The turbocharger helps to cut its 0-62mph time to 11.3 seconds. That, coupled with its smooth and quiet nature, makes it our pick of the engine range. If you’re desperate for more power, the 138bhp version cuts the 0-62mph time to 10.1 seconds, but in a car like this, such performance seems unnecessary.
Diesel engines
If you want a diesel engine in your Meriva, there's only one: a 1.6-litre CDTi with 134bhp. It actually offers the strongest performance of all the engine choices, being the only one to do 0-62mph in less than 10 seconds. It can only be chosen with the six-speed manual gearbox.
