What they said when the Vauxhall Zafira was launched… (Aug 1 2002)
NOT one of the first in the field, but definitely one of the best, the Vauxhall Zafira has become a benchmark for medium sized mpvs.
There is a story in the business that when Ford saw how good it was, the arrival of the Zafira caused Ford to delay its introduction of a similar model based on the Focus. That is now nearing production.
But Zafira is meanwhile king of the pile offering up to seven seats, a feature not available in many of its rivals including the original trend-setting Renault Megane Scenic which has seen sales dip while the Zafira has soared 43pc to 22,000 so far this year.
How it has got to the top is down to its very clever packaging - with user-friendly foldaway rearmost seats which instantly transform it from five to seven seats - and its very strong driver appeal.
If you habitually haul up to seven people around, the Zafira 2.2 Elegance is probably the best bet at £17,500, although the quicker and sharper handling two litre turbo version is £2,500 more. The range actually starts with the underpowered 1.6 Club at £14,000.
The 2.2 litre engine develops 145bhp and this means it will hit 60mph from standstill in under 10 seconds and top 124 mph. It has strong acceleration right across the range and cruises effortlessly at the legal maximum, but despite all this performance it returns about 32mpg, which is also very satisfying.
The sharp steering, long-travel but strong brakes, and excellent crisp gearchange all inspire confidence and its good all-round visibility adds to the overall sense of control behind the wheel.
Secondary controls are logical and the instruments clear, including the effective heating and ventilation system.
Oddments room is good, the luggage space sensible and generous and the passenger access easy, even though some may find the seats on the small side once inside the cabin.
The 2.2 litre engine is smooth but noisy towards its top end and road rumbles are ever present. Nevertheless, this beefy Zafira Elegance is probably the most composed of the range and with standard equipment including alloys, air conditioning and sunroof, CD player, powered windows and heated mirrors it is very sophisticated as well.
As Ford has clearly discovered, the Zafira is going to be a hard act to follow or beat.