Opel Zafira Life a budget leisure van with a plan

Whether you like to call it a minibus, a kombi or a van, it is one body shape always in demand.

Despite the commercial side of the van segment being fiercely competitive at price point, the leisure side of the business is very top heavy – especially with the giant leap Hyundai took recently in progressing from the H-1 to the futuristic-looking Staria.

The top-end Staria has entered an interesting rivalry with the Mercedes-Benz V-Class, Volkswagen Caravelle and Toyota Quantum VX in the premium leisure van segment.

The more affordable end of the leisure van segment consists of the ageing pair of Ford Tourneo Custom and the Volkswagen Kombi, the Mercedes-Benz Vito Tourer Pro and the entry-level Staria.

Opportunity for Opel Zafira

Opel has seen this segment as the perfect opportunity to try and increase its waning local presence with the introduction of the newly launched Zafira. The moniker previously reserved for a multi-purpose vehicle in the Opel stable is now being offered as a van.

The Zafira is available in two trim levels – Life and Elegance. The Life, which is priced at R749,900, is only beaten at price point in the leisure van segment by the Ford Tourneo Custom.

We recently had the Life for a seven-day stay to try and gauge its credentials. On face value, the Zafira looks fresh and modern with its typical Opel front fascia design and 17-inch two-tone alloys.

ALSO READ: Hyundai Staria gives Caravelle and V-Class food for thought

Apart from being R120,000 cheaper than the Elegance, the big difference between the Life and its sibling is the seating arrangement. The Elegance is a seven-seater with two VIP chairs in the second row, while the Life is an eight-seater with a three-seat second row.

No bells and whistles

With some new cars nowadays seemingly featuring more buttons and lights than an aeroplane cockpit, there is very little to distract the driver in an Opel Zafira Life.

A little LCD information display in the analogue instrument cluster and a seven-inch black-and-white infotainment system with smartphone connectivity is about as advanced as it gets.

A dial-styled gear lever selector instead of a traditional lever also does its bit to add a modern touch.

The steering wheel is strangely bereft of any operating buttons, which these days are common on even most budget hatchbacks.

Having to use an actual knob to adjust the volume is something you get used to rather quickly. But with the conversion from left to right-hand drive, this button has been left on the far side of the infotainment system, resulting in the driver having to reach for it.

While there are some creature comforts, the Life loses out to the Elegance – like Heads-Up display, navigation, adaptive cruise control, electric sliding, heated front seats, rear window blinds and leather seats – there is still a lot to keep passengers comfortable.

Yay for the tray

For starters, there are foldable trays on the back of the front seats for occupants in the second row.
Small as this feature may seem, my seven-year-old will gladly trade all the additional features in the Elegance to have those precious trays on her way to school and back every day.

Other standard interior specifications include rear air-conditioner, automatic wiper and headlights, tyre pressure monitor, cooled and lit glove box, split folding seats in the second and third rows, tinted windows, two rear ceiling and reading lights, two trunk lights plus optional rear and front parking sensors with 180-degree reverse camera.

Another nifty feature the Opel Zafira Life loses out to the Elegance is the opening window on the tailgate.
Both models are equipped with a rear luggage cover that doubles as a shelf for additional storage space over the luggage floor.

But the Elegance allows access to the shelf through an opening window instead of though the tailgate.
The Opel Zafira draws its power from a peach of a 2.0-litre turbodiesel engine. The mill produces 110 kW of power at 4 000 rpm and 370 Nm of torque at 2 000rpm, which is sent to the front wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission.

Opel Zafira handles well

Handing the Opel Zafira Life in city traffic was ridiculously easy in spite of its size. Contributing to the riding pleasure is the ride height, which is higher than most large SUVs. There was always enough urge and the auto box is buttery smooth.

We felt that Opel’s claimed fuel consumption of 6.3 L/100 km on a combined cycle was going to be hard to get close to. But even though the 10.4 L/100 km we managed over 368 km in city traffic was miles off that mark, we still think it was a decent return.

The Life comes standard with anti-lock braking system with electronic brakeforce distribution, traction control, electronic stability programme, hill start assist, driver and passenger airbags, front side airbags, driver attention alert, blind spot detection and electronic child locks on the sliding doors.

Conclusion

The Life is an honest offering that does not pretend to be something it isn’t. In fact, without bells and whistles you get to experience what a great alternative a good, solid leisure van can be over SUVs and double cabs.

The Opel Zafira is sold standard with a five-year/100 000 km warranty and service plan.

For more information on the Opel Zafira Life, click here.