EXPERIENCING for the first time the delights of a new car is usually a exhilarating event and my recent drive in Vauxhall's Meriva proved no exception.

Vauxhall maintains that its latest compact MPV is very much a family oriented car, the wide access provided by rear hinged doors proving to be just the thing for transporting youngsters and their accumulated clutter.

Significantly larger than the model it succeeds, the stylish Meriva can now compete with the likes of the Honda Jazz, Ford C-MAX and the Toyota Verso-S.

The somewhat unusual rear door set-up is no gimmick. Friends of mine already used to "Meriva doors" speak highly of the car's spacious and flexible interior.

In addition, there are a plentiful amount of cubbyholes and, while the boot is a little smaller than the outgoing model, rear seat space is pretty decent.

The cabin area has been well thought out and the rear seats slide and tilt to vary baggage and passenger space. There is also a very clever centre console which offers an almost endless range of sliding sections.

The Meriva Exclusiv Limited Edition driven here comes with standard features which include 18-inch bi-colour alloys, front fog lights, dark tinted rear glass, electrically adustable and heated door mirrors, plus some decent on the ear stereosound and a full length panoramic sunroof with electronic blind which, at two metres in length, is said to be the largest sunroof in the compact MPV sector.

Vauxhall designers have also added further practicality in a 1.5-litre bottle holder for each of the front doors.

Seat comfort, too, has also received attention with the adoption of front seat technology from Vauxhall's Insignia and Astra models while the increase in depth of the rear windows adds further to young passengers' ability to see out.

The Meriva's semi-raised driving position makes for good visibility and with ride and handling neat and tidy there is very little body roll.

Powered by a punchy 1.4-litre turbo petrol engine paired with a five-speed manual gearbox, the Meriva has a claimed top speed of 117mph and, with a 0-62mph dash of 11.5 seconds and mpg figures of a little over 46, overall performance is more than commendable.