Review of the new Vauxhall Zafira 1.6

If you'd resigned yourself to a second rate mini-MPV from a budget manufacturer, this might come as good news. Prices for the latest Vauxhall Zafira range kick off at around £16,000 and you're not about to get saddled with an engine that would struggle to punch its way out of a wet paper bag. In fact, the 1.6-litre petrol Zafira models are well worth further investigation. If you were about to settle for second best, put down that pen, step away from that dotted line and read on.

Let's face facts. Much as Vauxhall have tried to convince us to the contrary, mini-MPVs in general and the Zafira in particular are not about tyre-shredding power and performance. They're bought for other reasons such as practicality, safety and ease of ownership. This is why for most people, the 1.6-litre entry-level model is, in fact, a better car than the 240bhp ripsnorting Zafira VXR. Less, in this instance, is most definitely more. You probably won't care that it takes 13.9 seconds to get to 60mph and that the top speed of 109mph isn't going to make you the Obergruppenfuhrer of the autobahn. No, what's more germane is the almost diesel-like fuel consumption figure of 39.2mpg and a CO2 emissions figure of just 172g/km.

The engine is a benign unit that revs sweetly and only really feels its capacity when you've loaded the vehicle to capacity or are attempting to set a stiff target time for Lance Armstrong on a Category III climb.

"The Zafira 1.6-litre may not be thrilling but it is thrifty"

Steering feel has improved noticeably with the Zafira in recent times and other aspects such as the gearchange have been finessed. Ride quality and body control have improved dramatically from the first generation model, thanks in no small part to a completely redesigned suspension system. The torsion beam rear axle also helps packaging, being especially compact, and allowing for a flat floor with no suspension intrusion.

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 that the Zafira has succumbed, if not to middle age spread, then at least to 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 current Zafira retains the seven-seat configuration, with a middle bench seat offering three berths and two seats in the back that also fold flat into the floor.

What has changed is the amount of legroom on offer to the occupants. Whereas the first generation car would have been hideously cramped with all seven seats in use, the latest model offers a little more breathing space. It's still not ideally suited to a rugby sevens team and their kit, but for the larger family, it's close to perfect. 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. Most buyers will run in five-seat format, and in this mode the Vauxhall can cope with 620-litres of luggage - fully 20 more than the old car. Depending on the trim level, the Zafira can also boast up to 30 storage compartments. The 'Flex Organiser' luggage bay stowage system that has proved a success with Astra Estate buyers is also available on the Zafira. Don't believe the hype that the Flex7 system is instantly intuitive. Some reference to the manual and a certain degree of practice is required before you can say you've mastered the seating system.

It is to the Astra that the Zafira owes many of its exterior design cues. Whereas the first generation Zafira was clearly related to the Astra Mk IV, the current model looks for all the world like a MkV Astra Estate that's been attached to a garage air line. A particularly interesting feature is the optional panorama roof. With four large glass panels, this system offers passengers a light, airy atmosphere in the back, while tinted glass and a powered shade protect against dazzle. A centre console running the length of the ceiling has a number of overhead compartments. Built in a £300 million state-of-the-art facility in Bochum, Germany, the latest Zafira is built to a zero defect principle and the results are apparent inside the cabin. Although it doesn't feel quite as bulletproof as the Astra inside, it's still a very impressive effort.

The 1.6-litre versions of the Zafira are probably pipped by the diesel models as the best buy in the range, but if funds won't permit you to stretch to one of the CDTi engines, the 1.6-litre petrol is no sorry substitute. It's a tough and willing powerplant wrapped in one of the best mini-MPVs money can buy. Vauxhall hit the mother lode with the last Zafira and look set to do so again.