Holden Zafira 2001 Review

The folk at Fishermens Bend are building an unbeatable lineup in the showrooms as well, which is reflected in Holden's sales results.  It's not just Australia's top-selling car, the Commodore, keeping Holden at No. 1.

Star cars imported from Europe extend the Team of Champions all the way from the baby Barina, through the Astra and Vectra ranges, to the range-topping Statesman.  Add another name, the Zafira mini people mover, to the list.

People movers have never really taken off in Australia; traditional seven-seaters such as the Toyota Tarago and Chrysler Voyager often being too expensive for families with more than two children.  That is probably why locally built station wagons and car-like four-wheel-drives such as the Honda CR-V and Subaru Forester sell well.

However, in Europe sky-high petrol prices have limited the availability and affordability of big-engined alternatives and opened the way for mini people movers based on mainstream small cars.  Renault began the trend with its Megane-based Scenic, its huge sales forcing most of its rivals to follow suit.

The French brand, which only returned to Australia this year, missed out on any potential early advantage in the segment Down Under because the Scenic's arrival coincided with a barrage of similar rivals: the Mazda 323-based Premacy, Daewoo Tacuma, the Zafira and the Chrysler PT Cruiser.

Most of these cars offer more comfort and convenience than the ones they're based upon and only slightly less seating and luggage space than traditional people movers. So it's little wonder families are flocking to these cars and taking advantage of the $20,000-plus saving over a dedicated people mover.

The Zafira matches its bigger rivals for seating and is only just short on peak power, yet it comes in at $31,990 for the basic five-speed manual and comes standard with a long list of features that would be options on bigger people movers.
The Zafira is based on the Astra and, though the hatch and sedans are imported from Europe, it is built in Thailand in a new General Motors factory.
Its Astra heritage can be seen with both cars sharing the same basic face through the grille and headlights.  But, apart from that, the Zafira needed to be considerably longer and taller than the Astra to convert it into a people mover.

It has a more steeply raked and larger windscreen, bigger doors and side windows and a wagon-style rear end with a top-opening door.  But the Zafira's major advantage is that it is the only car in this small segment to have seven seats, thanks to an ingenious system called Flex7.

There are two front seats, a middle bench capable of seating three and then two seats in the rear compartment. Unlike some of its rivals, whose seats need to be removed, the Zafira's back seats fold flat into the floor to create more luggage room.

The middle bench, which has a 60-40 split fold capability and a through-loading centre hatch for long items, can be folded up and moved forwards by up to 540mm to transform the Zafira from a people carrier into a mini van.  Holden claims the Zafira has 150 litres of storage space when all seven seats are in use and 1700 litres when the back two rows are folded flat.

The Zafira also has the biggest engine in its class with an aluminium 2.2-litre four cylinder replacing the 1.8-litre from the Astra.  The engine, which also powers the Opel Speedster, produces peak power of 108kW at 5800 revs and maximum torque of 203Nm at 4000 revs.

It has been recalibrated to suit Australian conditions and driving requirements, which even includes switching the air-conditioner off temporarily for maximum torque during take-off.  Like the Astra, the engine drives the front wheels through either a five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic gearbox.

It has a Holden-designed torque converter for improved launch and a "neutral idle'' feature which increases fuel economy by selecting neutral when the brake pedal is applied and the car is stationary.

The Zafira also borrows the basic MacPherson front strut and torsion beam rear-end suspension design from the Astra, although it has been retuned for the Zafira's extra weight and cargo-carrying requirements.

Safety-wise, the Zafira comes standard with anti-skid brakes, traction control, dual front airbags and a patented pedal release system.  Inside the cabin, Holden has included CD sound, electric front windows, cruise control, remote central locking and plenty of hidy-holes and storage bins.  Apart from the self-shifting gearbox, the only option for the Zafira is metallic paint at $240.

Driving

THERE'S quality in every aspect of the Zafira. The comfortable seats are covered in dark, inoffensive fabric and the dash is simple and well laid out.  The front seats are set up high and there's not a lot of under-thigh support, but the advantage is excellent vision all around.

The seats are a bit awkward to fold flat or reposition upright for first-time users, but once you get the system sorted out it becomes simple.  There's not a lot of luggage space behind the rear seats when they are in use, but the boot is generous when the seats are flat.

The engine is quiet, refined and fuel-efficient; the tacho needle moves swiftly and effortlessly through the rev range and there's plenty of mid-range torque on tap.  The manual gearbox is slick and solid and the clutch is well-weighted for stop-start city work.

The suspension is second to none. In fact, the Zafira handles better than some sporty hatchbacks despite its taller body and centre of gravity.  The cabin is extremely well iso lated from wind, engine and road noise, giving the passengers better quality sound from the decent, but not spectacular, sound system.

It's not easy to find fault with the Zafira, which easily makes it the best choice of the new-age mini people movers.  It's more powerful and seats more people than its rivals; it oozes quality and has a suspension package that could have come straight off a more expensive car.

Score 4/5/ Seating; overall quality.
* Easily the best of this new bunch of mini people movers.
* Hard plastic dash; dark interior

Holden Zafira

Price: $31,990
Engine: 2.2-litre four-cylinder with double overhead camshafts and fuel injection
Power: 108kW at 5800 revs
Torque: 203Nm at 4000 revs
Transmission: Five-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Body: Five-door wagon
Dimensions:
Length: 4317mm, width: 1999mm, height: 1684mm, wheelbase: 2694mm, tracks 1470mm/1487mm front/rear
Weight: 1460kg
Fuel Tank: 56 litres
Furl Consumption: 8.7 litres/100km average on test
Steering: Power-assisted rack-and-pinion
Suspension: Fully independent with front MacPherson struts and torsion beam rear with coil springs
Brakes: Four-wheel anti-skid discs
Wheels: 15x6 steel
Tyres: 195/65 R 15
Warranty: Three years/100,000km

Rivals

Mazda Premacy *** (from $27,690)
Renault Scenic *** (from $25,878)
Chrysler PT Cruiser *** (from $35,200)
Honda CR-V *** (from $31,990)