Glance at the rear and...
Glance at the rear and you"ll see that, along with the extra doors, the biggest styling change to the new model - which will be called the Sportback - is the addition of A8-style rear lights.
At the front, designers...
At the front, designers have reprofiled the bumper and added the more prominent V-grille to bring the car in line with the latest Astra and Vectra. Modifications at the rear are less significant, with dark lenses and extra chrome trim. The cabin is largely unaltered.
Bigger changes come under the bonnet, as the 74bhp 1.3-litre CDTI diesel engine from the Corsa and Tigra has been added to the line-up, along with the latest 104bhp 1.6 Twinport petrol.
Anyone wanting a high-performance Meriva has also got plenty to look forward to. A hot VXR-badged 1.6-litre turbo ver-sion, producing an incredible 178bhp, will appear later in the spring. This top-of-the-range machine features an outrageous bodykit to mark it out from lesser models in the range.
Flagship Merivas will also be available with hi-tech adaptive headlights, which swivel with the steering, allowing drivers to see further round corners at night. Prices for this option have yet to be confirmed, but buyers should expect to pay around í‚á£400.