RoadTest: Opel Zafira It changed family motoring when it was introduced in 1999. Now the new Zafira ups the game, writes Michael McAleer, Motoring Editor
Engineers see themselves as innovators. Not surprising then that those at Opel were keen to play up the fact that they cracked the family conundrum in terms of people carrying some years ago.
In the dark ages before the Zafira was launched in 1999, families with just one set of wheels must have taken it in turn to go out of the house. There were people carriers back in the last century, but they were of the minibus variety and most cost more than the average saloon. For many families, the only answer was a Toyota Hiace with deckchairs strapped into the back. How did we all get around?
The other problem with the people carriers of that era was that when you didn't need the extra seats - which was most of the time - they sat there mocking you, taking up valuable space. You could remove them of course - handbooks told how to do this over 50 complex pages, but you'd need an engineering degree and the muscles of a heavyweight boxer.
The answer came with Opel's Flex7 - not a gang of comic book superheroes, not the latest bunch of pubescent teenagers to hit the charts, but a seating system enabling you to spring out an additional third row of seats in the boot area, thus pulling off that highly popular but difficult-to-achieve mini-bus effect with a few deft flicks.
The Flex7 system was one of those things that once you had seen it in operation, you were left scratching your head wondering why you hadn't thought of it yourself. Opel's competitors hastily went about replicating the system so that we now have Toyota's Corolla Verso and Renault's Grand Scenic, both with an extra row of seats that folds neatly into the boot. The idea has even been mimicked in some SUVs, with the new Land Rover Discovery being the most recent 7-seater with foldaway seats.
The flexibility which the system offers, particularly on the school run, qualifies it as one of the most ingenious motoring advances in recent years.
The new Zafira continues to feature Flex7, but more time has been spent on getting the interior trim and exterior appearance right. Based on the new Astra, the car continues to offer impressive handling characteristics. It combines the entire package with the new sporty front nose of the Astra, more stylish taillights and greater use of chrome strips around the exterior.
Inside, the Astra also provides the central console, a welcome addition, replacing the drab switchgear of old.
New engines are a key feature of the range, starting with the 1.6-litre petrol and a 1.9-litre diesel version. Our test car was the 150bhp 1.9-litre diesel, with sports suspension (a 120bhp version of the same engine is also available). Those who still harbour dreams of sporting coupés can opt for this, or even the 197bhp 2-litre turbo version.
Of the entry-level engines, the petrol is more than adequate for school-runs and around-town driving. For those seeking a little more flexibility, a 1.8-litre petrol version is due in the autumn.
However, the beauty of the diesel engine is the sort of low-end pulling power you'd expect from a powerful family saloon. The 150bhp may seem a little too energetic for the average family motorist who has accepted the sacrifices needed in running a mass storage device for offspring and their paraphernalia.
Yet Opel believes there is an untapped yearning for power among what they refer to as "fast family man". We have to admit to finding the idea a little far-fetched. Besides, while "fast family man" might love the grunt of power as it pulls away from the lights and the relatively tight cornering due to the sports suspension, invariably he'll be travelling with a car full of far more sensible and conservative passengers, none of whom will appreciate the arse-bruising ride quality nor being thrown backwards and forwards as our ageing boy racer turns every dash between lights into a sprint.
In its defence, however, there is something quite satisfying about leaving red-faced BMW drivers in your wake as you overtake them in an Opel people carrier.
The new Zafira is marginally taller, longer and wider than its predecessor, but it's in the rear that there's a noticeable shift of emphasis. Despite the increases in size, the new Zafira has a smaller load space when all seven seats are upright - 140 litres compared to 150 litres. The extra space is given to legroom in the very back row, while total load space with all rear seats down has increased significantly to 1,820 litres.
What all this means is that, if you are using the seven seats, there's just enough room for shopping, but with the back row down, it becomes a decent-sized family car. Families with four children will have no problems using one of the seats on the very back row and the rest of the area for luggage and perhaps a pram.
To be fair, the issue of boot space with all seats in use applies to all its competitors, though the Grand Scenic does claim more space.
Entry level pricing for the new Zafira starts at €25,745, below many of its rivals such as the Corolla Verso and the Grand Scenic. As you move through the ranges, prices fluctuate, but for our money the Zafira is still a very tempting package.
However, we do have a gripe with Opel Ireland about its pricing. After several changes in management here, Opel's Irish division is now effectively run as an offshoot of the British operation. So, we get the same model specification on the Zafira as they do across the water.
At its British launch some time ago, executives made much of prices for the new version in Britain being down by between £350 and £850 (€517 and €1,255) on the previous model. However, Irish prices have actually gone up by €390 on the entry level Life model. We've yet to get an adequate explanation for this.
That aside, Opel is clearly playing up the fact the new Zafira is more than simply a load-lugging people carrier. The German group is trying to add a little sparkle to the segment with more performance-orientated models.
The Zafira has lost none of the qualities that made it our favourite mid-range people carrier, and with a more sporting expression and a vastly improved interior it remains the one to beat.