Opel Zafira Vauxhall Zafira

History

The following section is an excerpt from Wikipedia's Opel Zafira page on 14 June 2019, text available via the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

The Opel Zafira, also known as the Zafira Tourer since 2011, is a multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) produced by the German manufacturer Opel since the beginning of 1999.

It was also marketed under the marque Vauxhall in the United Kingdom until June 2018, the Holden marque in Australia until June 2005, and under a number of other market specific brands and names. The Vauxhall Zafira had seven seats.

Zafira A (1999–2005)

The first generation of the Zafira was usually referred to as Zafira A, as was customary for Opel models. Developed with the aid of Porsche, the Zafira was first shown in concept form at the 1997 Frankfurt Auto Show, and entered series production in January 1999, with sales beginning in April. The Zafira achieved third place in the European Car of the Year for 2000, behind only the Fiat Multipla (sic) and Toyota Yaris.

The car was based on the same T platform as the 1998 Astra G, and shared much in common with that car. The Zafira A body was used in GM/Opel's concept hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicle the HydroGen3. Offered with a series of petrol engines and initially a single diesel offering, the "X" engines were replaced by the newer "Z" engine generation in 2000.

These featured variable intake manifolds and were able to meet Euro 3 emissions standards. A facelift was launched in February 2003.

Zafira B (2005–2014)

The second generation of the Zafira, called the Zafira B, debuted in Europe in June 2005, with sales starting on 9 July 2005. It shared the platform and mechanical parts with the Opel Astra H. In February 2007, the Zafira B was launched in Singapore. By March 2007, the model had only been introduced in Europe and Singapore.

It went on sale in Mexico in April 2006, and Chile in September 2007. In both countries, it was branded as a Chevrolet Zafira. Although this generation was replaced in the end of 2011 by the Zafira C, this model remained in production until May 2014, retailing as the Zafira Family.

Zafira Tourer C (2011–present)

The third generation of the Zafira, called the Zafira Tourer, was previewed in concept form at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, as the 'Zafira Tourer Concept'.

It was largely based on the Opel Astra J, and when the Zafira Tourer C went on sale, the Zafira B remained on sale from 2011-2014, albeit in facelifted form as the "Zafira Family", to act as a smaller and cheaper version, as the Zafira Tourer C increased in size to act as a proper rival to the Ford C-Max.

A hybrid/electric version was expected to follow during 2012. This car indirectly replaced the Opel Sintra, the only previous full sized Vauxhall/Opel MPV in Europe, which was discontinued in May 1999 after just three years on sale, as a slow selling product built in the United States.

The production version debuted at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show in September, and went on sale November 2011.

A natural gas version of the Zafira Tourer was announced in December 2011. A dual fuel vehicle, its CNG tank driving the car 530 kilometres, and a 14 litre petrol tank provided additional range or operation when a CNG filling station was not available.

In June 2016, the facelift of the Zafira Tourer was unveiled for 2017. As part of the upgrade, new front and rear bumpers and new interior brought styling in line with the Opel Astra K. OnStar navigation was also introduced as part of an updated IntelliLink infotainment system, complete with 4G LTE hotspot, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility.

Other new options for MY2017 included adaptive LED headlights, "Opel Eye" front camera, high beam assist, traffic sign assist, forward collision warning, lane departure warning and adaptive cruise control.

In June 2018, the Vauxhall Zafira Tourer was discontinued from the United Kingdom, citing the rise of SUV and crossover vehicles.

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