Test drive Opel Zafira 2003 - 2005 Minivan

All photos Opel Zafira 2003 - 2005

Bully

No mistake. Not Safira, namely Zadir. The world's first sports compactway. Having left on this car on the road, at first you treat the gas pedal quite sharply in order to avoid problems with the operational introduction into a rushing stream. Indeed, from family transport, surprises should not be expected in terms of dynamics, and Vectra with exactly the same 2.2-liter motor was not impressed with its capabilities. Therefore, everything that happens causes genuine surprise.

The engine gives acceleration so massive doses that it is just right to the wheel! The realization that the anti -boom system is not a tribute to electronic toys, but a real working tool that protects from term papers at start, quickly comes. In two lower gears, the nature of the traction is stable from about 1,500 rpm and almost to the limiter. And the thrust is needed! One gets the impression that the value of the torque is close to the maximum in a very wide range of revolutions. And to control overclocking is very conveniently, the engine willingly responds to all the movements of the accelerator. Moreover, the union of the motor and the gearbox is extremely successful: the transfers are scaled each other, no failures and sprains are observed.

Manageability can be described in the following words: good for a golf class car and is different for compactwane. That is, there is no special difference in the behavior of the car in comparison with ordinary sedans and hatchbacks of comparable sizes. Even the rolls do not attract attention. Opel Zafira is equally reliable in turns and on high -speed straight lines, the driver’s commands performs clearly and agilely. No tricks! Having felt this, you begin to carry out such maneuvers that you only marvel at your courage. It is especially cool to force the rivals by surprise because they do not know that the device in front of them, as well as in their place, would never regard this family as a rider.

So, after all, it should also be borne in mind that 147 horsepower is by no means a limit for Opelian compactwane. There is a very crazy Zafira OPC, under the hood of which a 200-horsepower turbo engine is hidden. True, she does not come to us through official channels. And there is also an all -wheel drive version, but it is sold only in the Asian market, where it bears the name Subaru Traviq. Traviq is produced in Thailand, at the same enterprise that supplies Australia and South America under the Holden and Chevrolet brands, respectively. Here is such a story.

With all its driver skills, this car remains very comfortable. This combination of controllability and excellent smoothness is rare! And the level of vibration insulation is generally unheard of: in idle, you can distinguish a working motor from a non -working one only by tachometer! Without any artistic exaggeration. And this despite the fact that the four -cylinder engines, in principle, do not shine with balance.

Compactwane is designed in the style of the Astra family, on the platform of which it was created. Moreover, outwardly, he looks much more complicated and interesting than his relatives, and the modesty and restraint of appearance to him only to his face. But with the interior, everything is not so clear. Inside, a claim is rather boring, more than once presented to the models of the Opel brand. The German order reigns here, but, right, some banal techniques like a silver frame of dials or inserts for Kevlar would be extremely appropriate, taking into account the temperament of the machine. The details are penniless, and the salon would have revived at a time.

There are flaws in terms of ergonomics. The front seats are equipped with a very obsessive lumbar support, and the gearbox lever is shifted towards the seats, which is why it is inconvenient to turn on the second and fourth gear. And the value of the armrest is reduced to zero. The list of minuses is exhausted, and the pluses continue. Zafira megapraktic car. To begin with, for quite acceptable money you get a magnificent motor and generous equipment, from which I would like to note an electric packet, air conditioning, four pillows, adjusting the steering column in two directions, a multifunctional steering wheel with a leather finish, a CD resort, an immobilizer. Outside, fog and alloy wheels.

One of the main, if not important, treasures of the machine, the branded concept of FLEX 7 (which can be translated as an adaptive seven), according to which the internal space is organized. In a matter of seconds, Zafira turns from a seven -seater car into a single, and vice versa. How does this happen? Separate seats of the third row are versed, forming an even floor. Moreover, the final stage of their folding occurs in automatic mode and is so rapidly that you involuntarily be afraid to lose control of the situation and pinch something. The middle sofa moves horizontally, and the back is leaning forward in a ratio of 1: 2. If necessary, the sofa pillow rises, and in such a book form it moves to the backs of the front seats. And there is also the opportunity to fold the back of the front right seat, and then Zafira is able to transport objects more than 2.5 meters long.

So it was until 2003 model year (the car you see in the pictures dated the year 2002). In the new season, Zafira is slightly modernized, and now the middle series of seats develops in a ratio of 1: 1: 1. The car had a new optics, a changed grille of the radiator and the door handle painted in the color of the body. And the list of options is replenished with xenon and climate control.

We inform you with the regret: if you really need a multi -seater car, but you are not ready to refuse the prospect of lighting, then your choice is extremely meager. This is Opel Zafira. Or Honda Stream, but already with reservations. And I will only add from myself: in all evidence, Zafira is the best Opel of those that can be purchased today in Russia.

The car is provided by General Motors CIS.

Text: Leonid Klyuyev
Photo: Roman Ostanin