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First Drive: Vauxhall Zafira Tourer. Image by Vauxhall.

First Drive: Vauxhall Zafira Tourer
Vauxhall's new flagship Zafira promises even more practicality - and a swankier cabin.

   



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| First Drive | Munch, Germany | Vauxhall Zafira Tourer |

Overall rating: 4 4 4 4 4

The Tourer is an all-new, premium take on Vauxhall's existing Zafira MPV. Suave looks, a classy interior and more practicality features than you can imagine make it that bit more special than the standard model. It'll be available to order in November, but you're unlikely to see any in showrooms until spring 2012.

Key Facts

Pricing: £21,000 - £25,165
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel
Transmission: six-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Body style: five-door MPV
Rivals: Ford S-MAX, Renault Grand Scenic, VW Touran
CO2 emissions: 137g/km
Combined economy: 54.3mpg
Top speed: 129mph
0-62mph: 9.1 seconds
Power: 161bhp at 4,000rpm
Torque: 258lb.ft at 1,750 - 2,500rpm

In the Metal: 4 4 4 4 4

It's a big car in every sense, so much so that Vauxhall reckons the Tourer will be straddling the C- and D-segments of the MPV market (basically a rival to both compact and conventional MPVs). Smooth, swooping lines take the edge off the boxy people carrier appearance, while the cabin, save for a uniform Vauxhall fascia, is classy and well built. You sit high and get the sense that it's a big car in every way.

The original Vauxhall Zafira defined clever, versatile interiors in compact MPVs and the Tourer has built on that. There are, apparently, over 30 cubbyholes, and the rear seating system is as innovative as ever. The back two seats fold down flat at the press of a button and lift up again with no more than a tug of a the canvas handle. The centre row is even smarter, as the middle seat folds in on itself to create a large centre armrest and the two chairs either side slide 280mm back and forth in an L-pattern to maximise space.

Driving it: 4 4 4 4 4

Where the Ford S-MAX is about as engaging as an MPV gets, the Zafira is as smooth, comfortable and sensible as you'd want. We were initially concerned about the 19-inch wheels on our test car but fears were allayed after the shortest of drives. It's very comfortable indeed - and 19s are the biggest wheels you can have.

In terms of engines, there are two petrol options - a 1.4 turbo and a 1.8, both with 138bhp - and three 2.0-litre CDTi diesels with 109-, 128- and 161bhp. We were only able to try the most powerful diesel, which had sufficient pull for a car of the Tourer's bulk and was generally refined, but it became loud over 3,000rpm. We'd gamble on the fact that lower powered engines will probably render the Tourer pretty sluggish, though. The start-stop system, standard on this model, works effectively and body roll is well contained for an MPV. The six-speed manual gearbox is a little tough in its action, but it does the trick.

What you get for your Money: 4 4 4 4 4

Prices start at £21,500 for the basic Zafira Tourer ES and top out at £25,165 for the Elite. It's a significant premium over the existing Vauxhall Zafira, which remains on sale with a price tag of £18,500, but it's a competitive set of figures against its biggest rival, the Ford S-MAX, which spans £21,495 to £32,045. Standard equipment isn't bad either - highlights include a DAB radio, cruise control and roof rails on entry-level ES.

Worth Noting

Vauxhall eschewed the idea of a high performance VXR model but hinted that there would be a more powerful diesel later on, possibly bearing the GSi moniker. At the other end of the spectrum, European markets will get LPG and compressed natural gas (CNG) variants, but these won't make it to the UK. We will, however, get an ecoFLEX 2.0-litre CDTi shortly after the aforementioned versions appear in showrooms with 128bhp and 119g/km. Vauxhall says we'll see gradual reductions in emissions as the model ages, so an engine with 110g/km or less isn't inconceivable.

Summary

The hallmarks of the original Vauxhall Zafira remain in the Tourer - it has a genuinely clever interior and there are too many practicality features to list here. Crucially, it's a lot more upmarket than the smaller, standard car. Vauxhall will continue to build and sell the existing Zafira as a cheaper, more compact alternative to the Tourer, but the newer, bigger car (and it does feel big) is by far the more desirable and functional of the pair.


Jack Carfrae - 10 Oct 2011



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2012 Vauxhall Zafira Tourer. Image by Vauxhall.2012 Vauxhall Zafira Tourer. Image by Vauxhall.2012 Vauxhall Zafira Tourer. Image by Vauxhall.2012 Vauxhall Zafira Tourer. Image by Vauxhall.2012 Vauxhall Zafira Tourer. Image by Vauxhall.



2012 Vauxhall Zafira Tourer. Image by Vauxhall.
 

2012 Vauxhall Zafira Tourer. Image by Vauxhall.
 

2012 Vauxhall Zafira Tourer. Image by Vauxhall.
 

2012 Vauxhall Zafira Tourer. Image by Vauxhall.
 

2012 Vauxhall Zafira Tourer. Image by Vauxhall.
 

2012 Vauxhall Zafira Tourer. Image by Vauxhall.
 

2012 Vauxhall Zafira Tourer. Image by Vauxhall.
 






 

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