The Opel Zafira is a vehicle Automobile of the type Monospace left in January 1999, and having two to seven sitted places (two seats known as folding seats are placed in the floor of the trunk and it is enough only to a few seconds to install them (system " Flex7"), first world: the idea will be taken up by other manufacturers some years later).

History

The prototype of Zafira was initially presented to the Auto show of Frankfurt in September 1997.

With its launching, Zafira had two engines gasoline (1,6i and 1,8i both to 16 Soupape S) and a diesel (2.0DI). To the autumn 2000, Opel added to the range the engine 2.2i gasoline of 147 ch and replaced the 2.0 DI (atmospheric) of 82 ch by the 2.0 DTi (turbo) of 100 ch. Ce the driving last to the bad reputation to consume many Huile, up to 1 liter with the 1.000 kilometers according to certain owners, of another sources mentioning this problem for the engine 2.0DI only.

A first evolution of style took place with the second quarters 2003, the principal changes being at the level of the grill (new form and chrome) and of the wheels (rims alloy of 16" with ten branches for the completion Elegance), like on the level of the back light units (for the indicators, only the bulb is tinted, and either the block itself), and finally of ringed white chromium dials for the instruments (Elegance completion). In the same way, another series, inspired of model OPC, left a few months later under the name of Design Edition : the lamps fog before are completely different, as well as bottoms of cases and Hayon which take again elements of Zafira OPC, and finally the side rods of protection color body. The motorizations are on the other hand strictly identical.

Model OPC ( Opel Performance Center ) is the variation " sportive" of Zafira: been driven by a turbo engine 2.0 of 200 ch (240 ch on the Zafira II) with a box with six reports/ratios, Zafira OPC is intended to the fathers who like the feelings! That being done with the detriment of comfort and the habitability, the bucket seats Recaro with before not being folding.

Zafira is marketed under the mark Vauxhall with the the United Kingdom and in Ireland, with control on the right. The only esthetic difference with the Opel model is at the level of the grill, in the shape of V, and with the logo of Vauxhall in its center, and marking on the back forage ladder (logo and mark).

Prototypes based on Zafira were also presented to the press and the public at the time of various living rooms:

• Zafira 1.6 GNV ( Natural gas for Vehicles or English CNG), running on natural gas, presented to the Living room of Frankfurt in 2005, also having a gasoline reserve of 14 liters

• Hydrogen3, functioning using a combustible battery (actually, 200 combustible batteries assembled in series), on a basis of modified Zafira OPC, the tank being with double steel wall to contain 4,6 kg of hydrogen liquidates (with -253 °C), increasing the weight of the vehicle of 90 kg, for only 400 km of autonomy. This vehicle was presented to the press in December 2002 with Monaco and to the public at the time of various demonstrations through Europe (Cité of Sciences in Paris, on May 24th, 2003), of which a rally of 9.696 km, Hammerfest in Norway (city more in North of Europe) with Cabo da Roca, with the Portugal (city more in the West). Hydrogen3 was supplied by a following truck, transporting a station of liquid distribution of hydrogen, the full one being done as simply as a model gasoline or traditional diesel.

A new version, to the Design very different from the former generation (design resulting from the Opel Astra 3, adapted to the gauge of Zafira), left in September 2005, accompanied by a new range of motorizations (of which a block turbo-diesel with direct injection and common slope of origin FIAT, 1.9 CDTi, for powers of 100,120 and 150 ch, with box with 5 or 6 reports/ratios according to the model). The turbo 2.0i of version OPC is him passed of 200 with 240 ch, reaching the maximum speed of 231 km/h (given Autoplus ) Zafira OPC is most powerful and fastest of the compact monospaces of series in the world.

Zafira was sold with more than 1.400.000 specimens since its launching in 1999.