The Opel Zafira is a car manufactured and marketed across three generations between 1999 and 2019 by Opel. Based on the Opel Astra platform, it is developed to occupy the multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) segment.
The Zafira was also marketed under the Vauxhall marque 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 name "Zafira" derives from the Arabic word meaning to succeed. Since 2011, it received an additional moniker as the Zafira Tourer.
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Zafira A (1999)
The first generation Zafira was internally designated as the Zafira A. Co-developed with Porsche, it debuted in concept form at the 1997 Frankfurt Auto Show and entered series production in January 1999, with sales beginning in April of that year.
The Zafira shared the T platform with the 1998 Astra G, sharing much commonality with that car. The Zafira seated seven passengers in three rows. Using a system marketed as Flex 7, the split back seat could fold into the floor to increase cargo space, without requiring removal.
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. Only available with a five speed manual transmission, 0–100 km/h (62 mph) can be reached in 8.2 seconds and the top speed is .
Subaru Traviq
The Zafira was sold in Japan from August 2001 through to November 2004 as the Subaru Traviq alongside the standard Opel vehicle. In exchange, Subaru supplied the Subaru Forester as the Chevrolet Forester in India since 2003.
According to Subaru, the Traviq name was a combination of the words "travel" and "quick". Imported from Thailand, the Traviq was originally only available with the bigger 2.2 litre engine, although a 1.8 L, lower priced alternative was added in July 2003.
| assembly = Germany: Bochum<br />Poland: Gliwice<br />Russia: Kaliningrad
| class = Compact MPV
| platform = T platform
| engine =
| transmission = 5-speed manual<br />6-speed manual<br />6-speed automatic<br />5-speed Easytronic
| wheelbase =
| length =
| width =
| height = (2006–2008)<br /> (2009–present)
| related = Opel Astra H
| successor = Chevrolet HHR (Mexico)<br />Chevrolet Orlando (Chile)
| model_code = A05
The second generation Zafira, internally designated Zafira B, debuted in Europe on 12 February 2005, with sales starting on 9 June 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 the Chevrolet Zafira. Although this generation was replaced in the end of 2011 by the Zafira C, this model remained in production until May 2014 as the Zafira Family. This name change occurred in markets including Germany.
The model was previewed as concept car named Opel Zafira Snowtrekker in 2000 and debuted at January 2000 Detroit Auto Show.
Names and markets
- Vauxhall Zafira – United Kingdom
- Chevrolet Zafira – Chile and Mexico
- Opel Zafira – Europe (except for United Kingdom), Japan, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan & South Africa
In Mexico the Chevrolet Zafira was discontinued after the 2006 model year, and replaced by the five-passenger Chevrolet HHR.
<gallery widths="200" heights="130">
File:Opel Zafira 08-7-2005 silver hr.jpg|Opel Zafira B (2005–2009)
File:Opel Zafira B Facelift front 20090923.jpg|Opel Zafira B (2009–2014)
File:Opel Zafira B Facelift rear 20090923.jpg|Rear view (2009–2014)
File:Opel Zafira 2006 dashboard.jpg|Dashboard (Opel Zafira B 2006)
File:Leopel 1.jpg|Opel Zafira OPC<br />(2009–2011)
File:2005 Vauxhall Zafira Life 1.6.jpg|Vauxhall Zafira (United Kingdom) (2005–2009)
File:2007 Vauxhall Zafira VXR 2.0.jpg|Vauxhall Zafira VXR (United Kingdom) (2005–2009)
File:2012 Vauxhall Zafira Exclusive Facelift 1.6 Front.jpg|Vauxhall Zafira (United Kingdom) (2009–2014)
File:2012 Vauxhall Zafira Exclusiv 1.6 Front.jpg|Vauxhall Zafira (With new badge design) (United Kingdom)
File:Chevrolet Zafira 1.8 Essentia 2008 (15995933804).jpg|Chevrolet Zafira B (2005-2009)
File:Chevrolet Zafira 1.9 CDTi Essentia 2009 (19203931458).jpg|Chevrolet Zafira B (2009-2014)
</gallery>
Engines
The Zafira B's engine line was partly carried over from the previous Astra/Zafira generation. Opel replaced the 2.0 and 2.2 turbodiesel I4 engines with 1.9 L common rail turbodiesels developed by Fiat (Multijet). Opel Performance Center developed a turbocharged 2.0 L performance version of the Zafira B as well. A CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) version of the new Zafira with a 1.6 L engine is also available.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
!colspan=9|Petrol engine
|- style="text-align:center; vertical-align:middle;"
!Model
!Engine
!Displacement
!Power
!Torque
!CO<sub>2</sub> emission (g/km)
!Years
!Notes
|-
|1.6 TwinPort||rowspan="6"|I4||rowspan="2"|1,598 cc|| at 6,000 rpm|| at 4,000 rpm||172||(2005–08)||EU4
|-
|1.6 TwinPort|| at 6,000 rpm|| at 4,000 rpm||157||(2008–11)||rowspan="2"|EU5
|-
|1.8 VVT||1,796 cc|| at 6,300 rpm||| at 3,800 rpm||168||(2005–11)
|-
|2.2 VVT||2,198 cc|| at 6,000 rpm|| at 4,000 rpm||197||(2005–10)||rowspan="3"|EU4
|-
|rowspan="2"|2.0 Turbo||rowspan="2"|1,998 cc|| at 4,900–6,000 rpm|| at 1,850–4,900 rpm||228||(2005–09)
|-
| at 6,000 rpm|| ||230||(2005–10)
|-
!colspan=9|Diesel engine
|- style="text-align:center; vertical-align:middle;"
!Model
!Engine
!Displacement
!Power
!Torque
!CO<sub>2</sub> emission (g/km)
!Years
!Notes
|-
|rowspan="2"|1.7 CDTI Ecotec||rowspan="6"|I4||rowspan="2"|1,686 cc|| at 4,000 rpm|| at 1,750–2,500 rpm|| rowspan="2" |134||2009–11||rowspan="2"|EU5
|-
| at 4,000 rpm|| at 1,750–3,500 rpm||2010–11
|-
|rowspan="4"|1.9 CDTI Ecotec||rowspan="4"|1,910 cc||rowspan="2"| at 4,000 rpm|| at 2,000–2,500 rpm||167||2005||EU3
|-
| at 1,700–2,550 rpm||159||2005–10||EU4
|-
|rowspan="2"| at 4,000 rpm|| at 2,000–2,500 rpm||167||2005||EU3
|-
| at 2,000–2,500 rpm||159||2005–10||EU4
|}
Fire issues and recalls
In November 2015, the London Fire Brigade issued an alert in response to a "spike" in reports of fires with the model.
In December 2015, safety officials in the United Kingdom asked Vauxhall to initiate a full safety recall of the model Zafira B, due to a worrying level of car fires apparently or alleged to have been caused by 'Improper Repairs'.
The fires continued, even those recalled, and a second full safety recall was announced in May 2016, with all owners advised not to use the fan in speeds regulated by the "resistor pack" which contained a solder based unreliable safety critical thermal fuse, until the second recall, starting August 2016, had been carried out.
On 3 May 2018, a criminal investigation into Vauxhall's handling of the fires of the Zafira B and recalls was launched in the United Kingdom.
On 31 August 2019, major damage occurred in a parking garage in Cork, Ireland when an Opel Zafira caught fire.
On 7 January 2020, there was a spontaneous fire in an Opel Zafira, which caused over 200 to 300 cars in a parking garage at Stavanger Airport, Sola to be destroyed. No people were harmed.