14 Feb 06
There's even a set of Recaros up front that'll keep you tucked into the part-leather trim, no matter what hooligan antics you try to pull off round a McDonalds car park. The kids strapped into the rear might not appreciate it too much after a Happy Meal, but at least they'll be kept quiet with the optional twin-audio system (basically a set of headphones for each kid, allowing them to listen to a CD while you listen to the radio) or roof-mounted DVD-player.
That 1.6-litre turbo will wrench the Meriva VXR to 60mph in just 7.9secs and on to a top speed of 137mph - better than the aforementioned C2. You have to wring the neck of the engine though, with the 177bhp only arriving at a heady 5,500rpm. Torque is a reasonable 170lb-ft at 2,200rpm - with an extra 15% available on overboost - ie, if you drop a cog on the six-speed box and boot the loud pedal you'll be able to overtake dawdling traffic before you can say 'fixed penalty notice'.
It's a good job the brakes are suitably beefed-up to match the peppy engine - 308mm ventilated discs sit behind the front wheels and the rear discs work well off the handbrake if you ever find yourself wanting to perform a quick 180 - not that we'd ever condone such behaviour...
