Bigger and better-looking than its predecessor, the Zafira Tourer is a great option for comfortable family transport
The Vauxhall Zafira has been a staple of the MPV market since 1999, but the latest model really is a big step forward. The car has morphed from a dreadfully dull family bus into a genuinely classy and upmarket offering in the MPV sector.
• Vauxhall Zafira Tourer review
The Zafira Tourer comes as standard with seven seats, which easily fold down to give a cavernous 1,860 litres in two-seat mode.
With all the seats up, there’s room for adults, and the optional ‘lounge’ seating allows you to give middle-row occupants a bit more shoulder room and luxury.
The Zafira Tourer underwent a bit of a facelift in 2016, giving it Vauxhall’s latest ‘family face’ and, crucially, a vastly improved interior with a large touchscreen in place of the swathes of buttons that the old car offered.
Engines have been upgraded too, and most people will opt for the excellent 1.6-litre ‘Whisper’ diesel. Whisper it does not, but by diesel standards it’s quiet, refined and pretty powerful. That engine also allows nearly 63mpg fuel economy – excellent for such a big, heavy car.
If you need more power there’s also a 2.0-litre CDTi, and petrol fans can opt for a 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol, though both of these see economy and emissions suffer.
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