Opel Zafira Tourer review (09/01/2013)
Opel is not alone. The European automotive industry really hit the buffers in 2012, but its moves come at a time when it appeared to be making something of a revival, with a new Astra coming on stream and an established range comprising of such worthy vehicles as Corsa, Meriva, Insignia and Zafira all having been recently revamped. On top of that the Adam city car is on the starting blocks as well.
It would appear that Opel is now paying the price for a period of relative stagnancy in product development at the sort of pace which has seen rivals such as Volkswagen grow its market share at an unprecedented rate.
But, I’m afraid all this takes me away from my main task this week, which is to tell you about the new Zafira Tourer from Opel, a car which is designed to put the company back into contention in a market segment which it practically invented. The ‘maxi-me’ MPV has been around for many years now and you can think back to the early days where manufacturers co-operated to build them.
First there was the Fiat Ulysse/Peugeot 805/Citroen Synergie co-production and then came the Ford Galaxy/VW Sharan/Seat Alhambra effort. But, it was the original Zafira in 1999 which really propelled the idea of a van-like car with seven seats into the collective imagination of the car-buying public.
Since then the Zafira has really been a winner for Opel and I know loads of families who swear by their Opel people carrier and whose allegiance to it is unswerving. It may be that the original idea has been surpassed by Ford’s clever and good-looking S-Max or even the current generation of the Sharan/Alhambra in terms of being the ultimate practical large MPV, but Opel has still been able to come back fighting.
The result is the Zafira Tourer and this machine has a longer wheelbase and wider track than the Zafira proper, has suspensions derived from the Insignia (front) and Astra (rear) and a new generation of engines, as well as a high spec interior design and features such as the panoramic windscreen which stretches well back into the roofline.
All told the Zafira Tourer is a very attractive design even though the designers have eschewed the trick rear-hinged rear doors from the new Meriva, or even the sliding ones seen on several modern designs of this nature. It looks sharp, modern and different and, it has to be said, appealing.
On the inside Opel has continued its trend of coming up with imaginative and practical seating solutions. The front seats are fairly standard, but the middle row can be adapted in all sorts of ways to create a one-, two- or three-seat arrangement. On top of that, the third row pair of seats actually boast a modicum of legroom.
The panoramic roof gives the Zafira Tourer a very airy feel and also allows decent forward vision for the passengers; the driver is also well catered for with intuitive and well-sited instrumentation and switchgear. The ‘coffee and cream’ coloured interior of the test car rather diminished for me the overall quality of materials utilised here.
Power is provided by a two litre CDTi turbodiesel which outputs some 121 kW (163 bhp) and an impressive 320 Nm of torque between 1,750 and 2,500 rpm, which results in a top speed of 208 kph, a 0-100 kph capability of 9.8 seconds and a return of 5.2 l/100 km over the combined cycle.
Sure it is not the most inspired drive of all time and you could quibble that it is not as sophisticated a piece of kit as is installed in may rivals, but there is enough grunt there to appease even the most demanding driver, while also being economic enough to appeal to those looking for a cost effective mode of transport. The standard ‘stop/start’ facility will add to those drivers’ peace of mind.
On the road, the Zafira Tourer is impressive roll-free for such a big vehicle and there is impressive grip levels too. Ride quality is nearer the top of the scale than the bottom, although it is quite choppy on B-roads. Overall, however, this is quite a sophisticated handler and really shows its worth when driven at the limit.
Interior colour scheme apart, I really liked this bulked-up Zafira and was right at home with it from the outset.
The Zafira Tourer is a credit to the company and another indication that Opel has not lost its ability to produce cars which can appeal right across the board.
