The Vauxhall Zafira is one such car. It combines good looks with an uncanny ability to hide its girth, so it’s a shock to find it’s a fully-fledged seven-seater.
Read on for our verdict on the Zafira, or click the links to skip to a section.
Looks | Looks Inside | Practicality | Ride and Handling | Performance
Running Costs | Reliability | Safety | Equipment | X-Factor
1. Looks
Looking like an inflated Astra estate, the Zafira is a stylish way to move the family. The pointy corporate front end looks as though it will cut its way through the traffic, and a rakish rear features a low sill allowing loads to be placed in the boot with ease. And that's the only real evidence of its practical pretensions. Crease lines above the wheel arches help to provide a muscular stance, and a pleasant set of 16 inch alloy wheels completed the sporty picture.
8/10
2. Looks inside
The angular dash looks like its been lifted straight out of the Astra, which means it's well laid out, if a little uninspiring. A dash mounted screen is the focal point, which provided a home for the radio controls and trip computer. The seats provided plenty of support for all occupants - particularly the driver, whose seat adjusts for height. Overall, the Zafira felt spacious and airy and a pleasant place to be - more so if you specify the panoramic glass roof, complete with a row of storage boxes.
8/10
3. Practicality
The trump card of any MPV is the way it utilises its space, and the Zafira is no exception. There's far more legroom than the previous model offers, and its perfect for large families. We packed the Zafira with four generations of family members and there was lots of space to spare.
Vauxhall's ingenious Flex7 seating system - already a success with the Astra Estate - means the Zafira can be a single seat, 1,820-litre load lugger or seven-seat people mover - or any combination between. The third row of seats fold flat into the floor, while the second row splits and folds. Even the middle seat in row two can be folded to create a table.
Elsewhere, Zafira owners will find a tray under the front passenger seat. If you want more space, you shouldn't be looking for an MPV; you need a double decker bus.
10/10
4. Ride and Handling
Another area Vauxhall have worked hard on is its driving dynamics. In sharing many of its chassis components with the Astra, the Zafira can be thrown round corners with the kind of vigour that would have put the old model in a ditch. The ride quality is pretty good, and left our occupants disembarking without complaint.
9/10
5. Performance
Performance from our 1.8-litre petrol engine was brisk, if not rapid - with just a driver in the car; it will dash to 60mph from standstill in 10.8 seconds, and on to a top speed of 122mph. If you're a family in a hurry, there's the VXR 2-litre turbo model which will get to the 60mph mark in 7.2 seconds and a top speed more than double the motorway limit.
8/10
6. Running Costs
The Zafira looks to be an excellent long-term prospect. The Vauxhall undercuts the equally good Volkswagen Touran by up to £5,000. Buy a new one and you'll get a one year warranty, followed by a two year dealer warranty, up to 60,000 miles. You'll also receive three years breakdown cover (as long as Vauxhall do your servicing every year or 20,000 miles) and a six-year anti-corrosion guarantee.
8/10
7. Reliability
The Zafira borrows heavily from the Astra, which should render the MPV worry-free. There are no general issues to report, and our test car seemed very well built inside and out.
9/10
8. Safety
The new Zafira scored a maximum five stars in the EuroNCAP crash tests, and comes with anti-lock brakes with cornering brake control (which helps avoid skidding under hard cornering) and electronic brake force distribution on all models. The whole range gets driver, passenger and front side airbags (curtain airbags are available on higher-spec models) and collapsible pedals to avoid leg injuries.
9/10
9. Equipment
All the Zafiras bar the low-spec Expression and Life are very well appointed. Our limited edition Active model was loaded with air-con, 16 inch alloys, tinted glass, body coloured roof rails, height adjustable drivers seat and a CD player and trip computer operated through the dash-mounted screen. There was no satnav, however.
7/10
10. X-Factor
The most impressive thing about the Zafira is the way it hides its bulk - it's difficult to spot it’s a cavernous seven seater.
If you're looking for a stylish and practical people carrier that retains a decent driving experience, the Zafira is among the best on the market.
8/10
