The Zafira Tourer promised more of the same class-leading practicality when we first tested it in October, but at that point we were only able to try the 2.0-litre CDTi diesel engine in its most powerful 165hp guise.
Now we’ve been able to try the 130hp diesel, which is of paramount interest to business car drivers, chiefly because of its lower P11D costs and also because Vauxhall expects it to be the most popular option among the fleet community.
Despite the power difference, there isn’t any change in the official economy and CO2 figures of 54.3mpg and 137g/km between the 165hp diesel and the standard 130hp unit. That isn’t as low as it goes for emissions, though, because the 130hp engine is also available as an Ecoflex model tested here, with 119g/km and 62.8mpg.
Unless you’ve tried both the 165 and the 130 Ecoflex back-to-back (and we did) there’s almost no distinction between them. With that comparison to go by, a very slight lack of power in the 130hp engine’s mid range was noticeable, but the reality is that it’s too insignificant to make a difference to most. Power delivery remains smooth and refinement is impressive at low revs, but the unit becomes noisy when it’s worked harder.
Engine aside, the Zafira Tourer is one of the most practical MPVs on sale, not least because the Flex7 seating layout is more versatile than it has ever been, while the Tourer’s larger footprint than the outgoing Zafira (which remains in production) has freed up more space in just about every direction. The ride is comfortable and the cabin is far more upmarket than that of its predecessor.
For all its merits, the Zafira Tourer’s biggest stumbling block is the Ford S-max, as the blue oval’s rival is much more enjoyable to drive. That said, the Vauxhall’s updates render it arguably the more practical and versatile of the two, and the Ecoflex version is significantly cleaner than any existing S-max, so it’s a close run thing.
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