Everything's getting bigger these days; the numbers on the thermometer, Apple's share price and the hype surrounding the latest car.
Cars themselves are also getting bigger, and Opel's new Zafira is no exception. Even its name has grown — now it's called the Zafira Tourer.
Being bigger on the outside has its advantages. The Zafira Tourer's cabin is now more accommodating fore and aft, with the emphasis on the latter. The car also boasts a smart seating arrangement plus all the best bits from the old car, only polished and perfected. Not that the ‘old' Zafira has been elbowed out of the way just yet, it's just playing medium to the Zafira Tourer's large dimensions.
With savvy buyers that have a family in tow having fully embraced the concept of the people carrier, cars - like the smaller generations of Zafira - have offered more versatility and flexibility than traditional hatchback models. Opel hopes this Zafira - don't forget the ‘Tourer' bit - will continue to tempt people away from the likes of Ford, Peugeot, Mazda and Volkswagen.
Almost 60mm longer in its wheelbase over the smaller car and underpinned by some Astra and Insignia technology, the Zafira Tourer looks to its maker's futuristic Ampera hybrid for design inspiration. The Zafira's rounded nose and smooth lines not only make it more aerodynamic, but do much to disguise its size.
Fortunately Opel hasn't skimped on performance. As such, Opel has ‘downsized' its petrol offering to a modest 1.4 litres, although this engine does come with a turbocharger to help the unit produce a reasonable 140bhp. Enhancing the engine's appeal further is the promise of more torque than the old 1.8 lump it replaces, plus a six-speed manual gearbox to facilitate hushed high-speed cruising and fractionally lower emissions to boot thanks to the option of stop-start technology.
The end result is a willing and refined motor with plenty of thrust available right across the rev range. Motorway cruising is refined, allowing you to enjoy the car's audio performance at a sensible level, plus there's enough flexibility to make both the challenging nature of stop-start urban motoring and the ebb and flow of cross-country mountain-roads melt away in an instant.
But that's not why you're likely to buy a Zafira Tourer, though. For cars like this it's nearly always about the cabin. And for good reason; it's here that the family will spend a serious amount of quality time. Furthermore, flexibility is key here whether you're doing a school run or transporting flat-packed furniture.
In this respect the Zafira Tourer has both bases covered. In regular trim its cabin easily accommodates five people in comfort, plus there's the car's third row for small children, or very short journeys for anyone bigger. So far so MPV. Depending on the trim level and options combo you pick there's also a ‘lounge-style' arrangement, giving you the ability to shrink the middle row from three to two seats and liberate extra elbow room.
Add to this the flexibility to fold the seats down to form a load bay to convert the Zafira into a posh van, plus the numerous oddment storage options littered around the cabin, and the family-focused Opel presents a compelling case for anyone seeking a versatile family wagon that drives and cossets as well as it looks.
Fully featured with a wealth of standard kit right through the range plus no shortage of cost options if you wish to personalise the ownership experience, Opel's decision to expand the Zafira in size and boost its premium character inside and out appears to have paid off.
Specs & ratings
- Model Zafira Tourer
- Engine 1.4-litre four-cyl turbo
- Transmission Six-speed manual, FWD
- Max power 140bhp @ 6,000rpm
- Max torque 200Nm @ 1,850rpm
- Top speed 200kph
- 0-100kph 10.8sec
