VAUXHALL kicked off this year in fine style with a zippy new Astra to step up the competition with Ford and Volkswagen in the keenly-fought compact car sector.
But the revitalised GM Europe subsidiary will keep up the showroom pressure with a fresh take on mini multi-purpose motoring with the all-new Meriva model just unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show.
Featuring back doors with rear hinges to make access to rear seats much easier than usual, the innovation looks set to win interest in the burgeoning sector for pint-size cars offering greater versatility.
Rearward-opening doors are hardly new - the concept has been featured by Rolls-Royce and Mazda for several years - but it is the first time they have been employed in a family car design for some time.
On the Meriva, they swing toward the back of the car at an angle of almost 90 degrees. They can be opened by occupants only when the car is sopped and come with automatic locks that engage as soon as the it pulls away and should prove popular with mums on the school run and older motorists alike.
Vauxhall has high hopes for the new design, which includes an improved FlexSpace system that's claimed to make it easier to fold down the rear seats or move them to create more boot, leg or shoulder room. Front seats based on those in the Insignia and Astra are also said to offer greater comfort, along with the biggest range of adjustment in the sector.
Power comes from six turbocharged engines delivering between 75bhp and 140bhp - all offering higher economy and lower tailpipe emissions.
More newcomers will provide yet more news later this year as the VXR8 gets a makeover and Vauxhall rolls out the Sports Tourer version of the Astra. A sports version of the Ellesmere Port car will also be announced, based on the five-door model and in addition to the VXR model, likely to arrive in 2011.