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Holden Zafira spy shots

Carparazzi catches the 2012 Holden Zafira testing in Scandinavia.

The red team had huge trouble in convincing customers they needed a compact people mover, even if the Zafira was a hit in Europe and very popular as a taxi in Germany.

Now the Zafira is on the comeback trail, although it will have to wait until Opel sets up its own local operation for sales in 2012.

The Zafira is part of the plan, which will be led by the Astra, and it's likely to be with an all-new model currently under development in Europe.

Carparazzi has caught the 2012 Zafira during Opel's regular winter testing in northern Scandinavia and reports some significant differences as it gets closer to the production line.

The basic shape is still focussed on families, with a multi-function seat layout in the cabin, but the Zafira has a slightly flatter roofline and is likely to have a more aggressive frontal treatment. It is expected to share its styling direction with the new Astra, although it is still hard to get a clear picture with so much camouflage on the test cars.

Carparazzi says the third-generation Zafira will go public on the Opel stand at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September.