Opel has come up with a truly user-friendly car in the new Meriva which will suit young and old alike. The body is 30cm longer and there is more flexibility in seating and more legroom.

Add to this the novel front-opening rear doors and a high seating position and you have an MPV that gives easy access for even the most crusty occupants and young children.

The Flex doors – front and rear doors open to almost right angles – make it easy to get passengers and large objects in and out, including child seats and their occupants.

Older people who need extra space will now find it easier to slide onto the high seat cushion with the aid of a mid-mounted grab-handle.

The rear compartment gets Flex seats which can be individually moved forwards or backwards depending on load or legroom requirements.

Fold down the centre seat and the outer rear seats can be adjusted to give more shoulder room for two rear passengers if they are moved inwards. This is ideal for long journeys.

The Meriva is well kitted out with storage space. One good idea is the centre console which can be moved forwards or backwards depending on driver requirements for an armrest. The console has an interior space big enough for a handbag.

The high roofline means that tall passengers in the rear have no headroom worries and are not forced to lounge. They will also appreciate that the seats are tiered, cinema-style, so they can keep in touch with what is happening up front more easily, while also getting a good view of the road.

The Meriva handles well on corners and irons out bumpy secondary roads with ease.

Three petrol engines are available, all 1.4-litre units with output from 100bhp to a 120bhp unit with turbo-power and a top of the range 140bhp unit.

On the diesel side there is a 1.3-litre 75bhp, a 1.7-litre 100bhp unit which will be available with six-speed manual or automatic tranmission, and a top of the range 130bhp option.

Prices start at €19,995, before government scrappage, for the 100bhp entry-level S version. Go to the higher SC level and full-size curtain airbags, air conditioning, cruise control and steering-mounted audio controls are added for €22,195, while the top of the range SE costs a hefty €23,695.