Vauxhall Zafira

1:16pm Friday 18th April 2008

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Looking for a people carrier offering a decent drive and a flexible interior? Then you cannot ignore the UK's favourite, the Vauxhall Zafira, writes Motoring Editor STEVE NELSON.

Lists arrive here at the Drive desk on a daily basis. They are usually a thinly disguised attempt to get a brand name in print, commissioned not for the benefit of motoring mankind but rather as a bit of fluffy fun.

A recent example was a Top Forty of the best rock driving tunes of all time, produced from a radio station poll of 11,000 listeners. I was interested in this because I have now hit middle age and the station's audience was obviously in the 40-plus bracket.

Only old headbangers would vote Golden Earring's Radar Love top of the tunes. There was a certain predictability about the other entriesBorn To Be Wild (Steppenwolf), Highway To Hell (AC/DC), More Than A Feeling (Boston), Ace Of Spades (Motorhead) etc, etc.

As I say, to be consumed and enjoyed with a pinch of salt and a swig of tequila.

But one list that arrives here every month is held in reverence by motoring journalists and public relations people, pored over and analysed and used as a springboard for a raft of press releases spinning whatever positives can be eeked out of the figures.

Issued by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, it details not only the sales performances of manufacturers but also the top-selling cars in the UK.

There's an inevitability that the Ford Focus and Vauxhall Astra will be scrapping over the No 1 slot in the Top Ten.

More hatchbacks and saloons fill up seven of the remaining slots, but the remaining spot is sometimes taken up by the only people carrier up there with the best-sellers the Vauxhall Zafira.

The Zafira is one of the new breed of people carriers that has, in effect, replaced the hatchback or saloon as the chosen transport for a family with baggage. From its debut in 1998, sales grew year after year, and by 2004 it accounted for 40 per cent of the seven-seat MPV market.

But why has the Zafira become our favourite? Well, it may sound odd, but I suspect that the seating has something to do with it.

Seating arrangements and their flexibilty are incredibly important to families deciding on a new set of wheels. I speak from personal experience. Several years I opted for the smaller Honda Jazz, with its so-called "magic seats", to carry my family.

The Zafira's seating system is called Flex7, and it allows you to transform the car in a matter of seconds, from two-seater with a huge carrying capacity to a seven-seater that will ferry the family quickly and in comfort.

The car's third row isn't fixed and can be folded into the floor to increase the load carrying potential. Flexibility is further enhanced when you fold down the regular second row, as the car can be transformed into a designer van in a matter of seconds.

This is a real boon when compared with other MPVs which require you to heave and manhandle the seats once they've been liberated from the car.

You can buy a new Zafira from £15,975 and even at the lower end of the extensive range of specifications you will get anti-lock braking, electric front windows, front and side airbags, remote control central deadlocking, air conditioning, radio/CD player, roof rails and electronic stability programme.

But our focus today is at the top of the range, where the new Elite 1.9 CDTi model has been introduced to hook those with an eye on the executive sector.

Standard features include leather heated seats, climate control, cruise control, rear privacy glass, steering wheel-mounted controls, a quality radio/CD player with MP3 format, alloy wheels and rain-sensitive windscreen wipers.

And if you want to add to the price tag of £21,570, you can have the optional adaptive forward lighting (£750), satellite navigation and audio package (£1,250), keyless entry and start (£300) and a panoramic roof.

With Vauxhall's flagship four-cylinder diesel motor installed, this Zafira is capable of reaching 60mph from standstill in under ten seconds, and once past the initial rumbling it's a quiet companion.

If you are tempted to go for the Elite, then auto gearbox variant is well worth considering because it offers the best of both worlds. The ActiveSelect function effectively gives the control of a manual by enabling the driver to slot the gear lever to the left and choose their own gear ratios, and there's a Sport mode, too, for a livelier drive.

Thanks to the engine's ample torque, gear changes are smooth and there's a manual mode for when you want to have some fun.

Despite being a tall vehicle, the Zafira handles with car-like confidence. Driving it briskly is surprisingly rewarding, while the car shrugs off poorly surfaced urban roads.

A practical and attractive car, Vauxhall's Zafira might no longer be the newest kid on the street but it's more than capable of giving the new guys a lesson in how it's done. Vauxhall has refined and polished it and given it more appeal for the discerning driver.

The Elite certainly has an upmarket feel, and the stamp of quality is everywhere you look.

It's also easy to see why the car's been so successful for so long, but there's no question of Vauxhall resting on its laurels.

At a glance

Model: Vauxhall Zafira Elite 1.9 CDTi

Price: £21,570

Power: 150bhp

Transmission: 6-speed auto (manual available)

Fuel economy: 46.3mpg (combined figure)

Performance: 0 to 60mph in 9.7 seconds; maximum speed 126mph

CO2 emissions: 165g/km