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Vauxhall's new Zafira has moved up a gear

SOME cars offer a lot of scope for improvement. Vauxhall's Zafira, however, was never one of them.

It fulfilled its brief brilliantly in offering seven seat family transport that was safe, affordable, reliable and enjoyable. Vauxhall subsequently reaped the rewards, the Zafira being the biggest seller of all European mini-MPVs, eclipsing the Renault Scenic in a market the French company once called their own.

Replacing the Zafira was never going to be easy, but Vauxhall have got the MK2 model just right.

It's been improved in recent times with a smarter look that includes extra chrome detailing Louis Vuitton Replica Handbags on the radiator grille, smarter foglamp surrounds, restyled rear lamp clusters and chrome detailing on the front headlamp lenses.

The one thing you can never have enough of in an MPV-style vehicle is space, and sure enough, the tale of the tape reveals the Zafira has succumbed, if not to middle-age spread, then at least a little loosening of the belt.

This is perhaps understandable given the fact that with utility vehicles like the Meriva mopping up sales in the supermini-MPV class and no recognised full-sized MPV contender, there was a vacuum into which the Zafira would be drawn. Six inches longer, 1.5 inches wider and a shade taller than the first generation car, the latest Zafira retains the seven-seat configuration, with a middle bench seat offering three berths and two seats in the back that also fold flat.

What has changed in the second generation model is the amount of legroom on offer. Whereas the MK1 car would have been hideously cramped with all seven seats in use, the latest model offers a little more breathing space.. As before, the seating system is so versatile that the Zafira can be configured in two, three, four, five, six or seven seat guises in a matter of seconds. Vauxhall pioneered the concept of the performance mini-MPV with the GSi Turbo version of the MK1 Zafira and filling that niche even more emphatically is the Zafira VXR.

Bertolucci

Wi th a honeycomb grille, a larger front bumper (with a central air intake) and fog lights, the VXR has serious rear-view mirror presence. Deep sill extensions, twin tailpipes and 18-inch alloy wheels ensure that bystanders Versace know what they're looking at. The interior features Recaro sports seats and a sports steering wheel and gear lever.

As well as the recently introduced Exclusiv trim level, there's a choice of Expression, Life, Club, Design, SRi, Elite and VXR specs.

Zafiras have always made a lot of sense but for too long were deficient in terms of visual pizzazz and interior wow factor. No longer.

The Mk V Astra has these qualities in spades and lending them to the latest Zafira isn't the work of a genius, a process enhanced further by the recent changes.

Expect to see Vauxhall remain at the top of the mini-MPV sales charts.

Facts at a glance MODEL Vauxhall Zafira range PRICES Pounds 14,995-Pounds 26,095 INSURANCE GROUPS 5-15 CO2 EMISSIONS 165-228g/ km PERFORMANCE [VXR] max speed 144mph/0-60mph 7.2s FUEL CONSUMPTION [1.8] (urban) 28.5mpg /(extra urban) 47.1mpg /(combined) 38.2mpg

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Utilitarian vehicle

I HAVE mixed feelings abut utes. Granted they're useful; they are not named utility vehicles for nothing. And their former tendency to perform appallingly in crash tests is now being put to bed through stronger crash structures and the uptake of modern safety technology, such as airbags and stability control.

Alas, being safe and secure is little consolation when you're enduring ride comfort modelled on a pogo stick, and while the latest breed of diesel engines serve up decent power and economy they're still big four cylinder commercial lumps rather than proper car engines. Still when you've got a job to do you get a workhorse not a show pony.

What's this got to do with the Challenger? As you can see it isn't a ute, what with not having a tray and all. But look a little more closely under the wheel arches; that's a ladder frame chassis you see, remarkably similar to the one you'll find under the Triton ute.

Now look under the bonnet; yep, the same 2.5-litre turbodiesel engine. So they've taken the ute platform as a starting point and added the wagon body while retuning the suspension for carrying people rather than cargo.

That, in a nutshell, explains several things. One of those things is how the Challenger R alph Lauren Womens Polo Shirts isn't all that much smaller or less well equipped than the Pajero but manages to cost $17,000 less when comparing cheapest to cheapest.

It also explains why the Challenger, when judged by the standards of state-of-the-art 2010, feels crude. Yes it's more refined than a Triton but not by enough to get it to Pajero standards let alone the best of what's out there.

The biggest offender is the engine. Its refinement is marginal at the best of times but from a cold start the noise levels are unacceptably high for a $60,000 wagon. The engineer who signed this engine installation off as fit for human consumption needs a kick up the backside. Or new batteries for his hearing aid.

Likewise the suspension is on the crude side. Certainly it rides better than the ute, thanks in no small measure to replacing the rear leaf springs with coils and tuning them a bit softer. But it's still a solid rear axle back there and even with the most careful tuning in the world that set-up just can't match independent suspension for good manners.

Where the Challenger does beat similarly priced rivals is in the heavy duty stuff. For a start it retains the low ratio transfer box so if you want something resembling proper offroad gearing then it's there.

The gearing options are 2WD High, 4WD High, 4WD High with centre diff lock, and finally 4WD Low with centre diff locked.

MO NCLER Cloth

Economy: Official average 9.8 l/100km Performance: N/A Strengths: Off-road credentials Weaknesses: Vocal engine, unsophisticated suspension Overall: Good if you need the heavy duty stuff, not otherwise.