Opel’s Meriva is one for the long haul

I DON’T often visit Donegal; it is a haul from Cork. But during the past ten days, I found out how much of a haul. I had to go to a funeral there.

The last time I wasin Donegal was 1993, when I had travelled via Dublin and had not taken the Limerick-Galway-Sligo route. At 472.2 km, it was not going to be a joyride, and I was not sure Opel’s mini-MPV, the Meriva, was right for the gig. It might be handy for driving around town and tending to family needs — particularly with its unique rearward-opening back doors — and the very handy Flexspace rear seating system, but what would it be like on a no-nonsense cross-country thrash?

Well, the answer was that it acquitted itself remarkably well — not just on the outward leg from Cork to Gortahork, but also on the longer, 585.7km trip back to Crookhaven in West Cork.

The outward journey seemed simple: Cork to Limerick and on to Galway, and then on to Tuam on the N17 (stone walls and the grasses green, indeed), up through Mayo, Sligo and Donegal town.

Then, on through the Rosses towns of Glenties, Dungloe and Crolly, before arriving in Gortahork, nearly six hours after I’d started.

That latter part of the journey was completed in near-darkness and onthose hilly, unfamiliar Donegal roads, but the Meriva proved itself to be a much better companion than I could have ever envisaged. Indeed, it had already impressed on the long, largely unhindered straights in Mayo, bypassing Knock and Claremorris, where it clipped along with great enthusiasm and alacrity.

On the twistier roads further north, it was not as surefooted and confident, but the breadth of strength from the 1.6 CDTi turbodiesel (100 kW or 135 bhp, 320 Nm of torque), and the associated six-speed gearbox, made it surprisingly agile and driveable. Performance is snappy (197kph top speed and a 9.9-second 0-100kph) and the great wodges of torque mean that there is always ample grunt when you need it, even in higher gear corners.

Performance and dexterity aside, what most impressed me on arrival in Gortahork was my wellness of body and mind. Given my age and my sometimes dodgy back, a journey of this nature can often be debilitating. Not so here and, despite the distance and the varying quality of the roads, I was in remarkably good shape at the end of it. Undoubtedly, the optional ergonomic sports front seats (€753 extra) contributed to my well-being.

My initial intention, of making the return journey on the same night, had happily been scotched by my wife, and we stayed over at Ostan Loch Altan — formerly McFaddens — knowing I’d be well-rested for the longer return trip the next day.

After a beautiful funeral mass at Christ The King Church, I set out once more.

I genuinely enjoyed driving the Meriva. The high (but not van high) driving position was great, while the multi-adjustable seat and steering column allowed me to find the optimum comfort.

And everything worked really well, from the sat. nav. (another cost extra, at €1,425) to the auto lights and wipers (standard), and while the central console housing the switchgear looked a little intimidating, at first, it turned out to be intuitive and easy-to-use. And, believe me, you need to have the car fully on your side when you’re taking on such distance.

When I reached Crookhaven, I was knackered. I had made the 1,057 km trip in safety and in comfort, and I had also paid my respects to a wonderful woman, who had been so good to so many of us during childhood and adolescence.

The journey had been completely uneventful (other than my phone falling under the driver’s seat and wedging in one of the air vents down there. Note to Opel: please put covers on those vents) and the Meriva was a hugely pleasant and capable companion.

Such a journey is not necessarily what the Meriva was designed for, but it proved itself to be remarkably adept, nonetheless. I expect that, in its normal milieu, it might have been even more impressive.

COLLEY'S VERDICT 

The Cost: from €21,995 for the SE version; €29,105 as tested.

The Engine: a genuinely impressive, 1.6 turbodiesel with excellent pace and economy.

The Specification: standard kit is good, but it you want any fancy-dan stuff, it’ll cost.

The Overall Verdict: even when taken out of its comfort zone, the Meriva was a pleasantly surprising companion.