The second-generation Meriva will go on sale next summer, after its initial launch was delayed by the company’s financial crisis.
Due to be unveiled at the Geneva motor show in March, the Meriva will arrive in showrooms around June. It will have the concept car’s rear-hinged doors, making it one of only three cars on sale in the UK with this set-up, after the Mazda RX-8 and Rolls-Royce Phantom.
Hi-res Vauxhall Meriva spy pictures
Called FlexDoor, the system is designed to allow the front and the rear to be opened independently of each other. Each opens at 90 degrees to the body to improve access to the rear seats.
GM sources said the engineering of the doors was “a challenge” due to the big hinges needed and the interlocking mechanism that stops the doors from opening when the car is on the move.
The FlexDoor system will remain unique to the Meriva; GM is not planning to use it on the next Zafira, as rear-hinged doors are not compatible with a seven-seat layout.
Inside, the Meriva has a sliding centre console which allows users to adjust the storage to their own requirements.
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