Vauxhall Meriva to be unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show
Vauxhall are to unveil the new Meriva at the Geneva Motor Show on the 6th March. The car incorporates a number of new design ideas including rear-hinged rear doors, a high roofline and a U-shaped windscreen which stretches over the the heads of the passengers in the rear seats.
The way the rear doors open give much better control of children when they exit the vehicle. Sensors in the doors are also linked to the anti-locking brakes which ensure that the doors cannot be opened unless the car is stationary.
Vauxhall calls the backwards opening doors 'Flexdoors' but the concept is not new. These types of door have been seen on cars from the Rolls-Royce Phantom to the Mazda RX-8 and are commonly know as 'suicide doors.' Suicide doors were so named because of the danger of cars approaching from behind 'nicking' the door, causing it to slam shut on a passenger exiting the vehicle.
It remains to be seen if the Flexdoor system will mean increased car insurance premiums for Vauxhall drivers, in order to counter balance the increased risk of injury.
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