The Opel Zafira was Opel’s compact MPV, sold across three generations between 1999 and 2019 on the Astra platform. Its seven-seat interior, marketed as Flex 7, folded flat into the floor, and its OPC version was for a time the fastest minivan on sale in Europe.
Opel Zafira at a glance
| Maker | Opel, a General Motors brand |
|---|---|
| Production | 1999–2019 |
| Generations | three |
| Platform | Opel Astra |
| Zafira A | 1999–2005, co-developed with Porsche |
| Seats | seven in three rows |
| Interior system | Flex 7 |
| Zafira OPC (2001) | 192 PS, 220 km/h, 0–100 km/h in 8.2 s |
| Award | third in European Car of the Year 2000 |
| Zafira B | 2005–2014, on the Astra H |
| Zafira Tourer | from 2011 |
Based on one source, the English Wikipedia article on the Opel Zafira.
History of the Opel Zafira
Zafira A
The first Zafira was co-developed with Porsche, appeared in concept form at the 1997 Frankfurt Motor Show and entered series production in January 1999, with sales from April that year. It shared the T platform with the 1998 Astra G and seated seven passengers in three rows. Its split rear back seat could fold into the floor to increase cargo space without being removed, a system Opel sold as Flex 7. Petrol engines came from the “X” family and later the “Z” generation, which had variable intake manifolds and met Euro 3, and the 2.0 turbodiesels gained a 125 PS 2.2-litre option in January 2002.
The Zafira finished third in the European Car of the Year for 2000, behind only the Fiat Multipla and Toyota Yaris, and in the TÜV quality ranking of three-year-old cars it was by far the best Opel, only slightly behind the winning Ford Focus. A facelift was launched at Geneva in February 2003, and Zafira A production ended at Bochum on 25 May 2005, although the car continued in most other markets until 2012.
The Zafira OPC
Shown at Geneva in February 2001 and on sale from October 2001, the turbocharged Zafira OPC had 192 PS, making it the fastest minivan on sale in Europe. It came only with a five-speed manual, reached 100 km/h in 8.2 seconds and had a top speed of 220 km/h.
Around the world and the later cars
The Zafira was sold under many names: as the Vauxhall Zafira in Britain, the Holden Zafira in Australia until June 2005, the Chevrolet Zafira in the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Mexico and Chile, the Chevrolet Nabira in Malaysia and, from August 2001 to November 2004, as the Subaru Traviq in Japan, with conventional in-line engines rather than Subaru boxers and no all-wheel drive. The Zafira B debuted on 12 February 2005 with sales from 9 June, sharing its platform with the Astra H, and stayed in production as the Zafira Family until May 2014 even after the Zafira Tourer arrived in 2011. Production of the Zafira range ended in 2019.
Design and features
- Flex 7: seven seats with a rear bench that folds into the floor.
- Astra platform: compact-car mechanicals under a tall, seven-seat body.
- Zafira OPC: 192 PS and 220 km/h, the fastest minivan in Europe in 2001.
- Developed with Porsche: the first generation was engineered with help from Stuttgart.
- Many badges: sold as Vauxhall, Holden, Chevrolet, Subaru and Opel.
Opel Zafira versions
- Zafira A (1999): the first generation with Flex 7 seating.
- Zafira OPC (2001): the turbocharged 192 PS version.
- Zafira A facelift (2003): the revised first-generation car.
- Zafira B (2005): the second generation on the Astra H.
- Zafira Family: the Zafira B sold on until 2014.
- Zafira Tourer (2011): the larger third generation.
The Zafira was built on the Astra platform and replaced the larger Sintra in the range. More cars are in the Opel collection.
Video: Opel Zafira Tourer – So fährt sich der Zafira
Video by AUTO BILD on YouTube.
Sources
- Opel Zafira, English Wikipedia: generations, Flex 7, OPC, markets, awards
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