VAUXHALL has been making significant gains in sales this year, notably in the family sector led by MPVs.

It has set the benchmark for others with the medium sized Zafira and quickly followed this with the smaller Meriva in 2002.

More recently the Meriva 2 appeared in 2010 and has been extremely well received, with the latest 95bhp ecoFlex engine added in spring 2011.

This sits in a wide range of petrol and diesel Meriva models which share the common five-door body with its unique clam-shell side doors featuring rear-hinges which gives exceptionally easy entry and exit for the three rear-seat passengers and has the additional safety benefit of children being unable to open the back doors on the move.

The newest engine is a perfect unit for the Meriva in Exclusiv trim, producing immediate start up and delivering excellent pulling power from low to medium revs. It's so responsive you think it is a much larger engine and it is surprisingly quiet as well as smooth.

Not only does it deliver good useful performance but it is very composed on the motorway and main roads and returns fuel economy on test of close to 60mpg.

I tried a 75ps 1.3 last year and capable though this was when used two-up, it was not as composed as the 95bhp version just tested.

If you don't have to push so hard to make progress a vehicle's fuel economy also benefits as well as the driver's lower stress and this was the case with the ecoFlex. I would thoroughly recommend it unless you habitually spent all day on a motorway when is working very hard and noticeably.

The smoothness of the engine is matched by that of the gearbox, but it is only five-speed which does partly explain its stretched performance at high speed, and the changes are light and direct and complemented by the ease and low effort of the power steering with its good turning circle and the adequately powerful brakes.

Secondary controls are close to wheel and column and work well with the simple instruments clearly displayed and easy to read backed up by familiar warning lights.

Heating and ventilation is elementary and efficient, the oddments room reasonable, the boot space rises from about 400 to 1,500 litres and it's easy to access and empty.

Driver and passengers have good seats with adequate front adjustment but the ride quality tends to be firm rather than absorbing.

Visibility is good all round and you can park it in the tightest of gaps thanks to this and its good turning circle, although it feels a little dead to the touch at higher speed.

Handling is naturally biased towards understeer but that's not a problem and a good safety feature, and it stays firmly on the road even sweeping around bumpy corners.

With Vauxhall's comprehensive warranty and the thoroughly practical design of the Meriva it is something which stands out from competitors in this sector of small MPVs.