Opel/Vauxhall Zafira facelift unveiled with new face

After leaked photos of the car surfaced on the web last week, the covers have officially come off the facelifted Opel/Vauxhall Zafira. The radical design of the seven-seater MPV has been toned down a little with the refresh, while a few tweaks inside and out have brought on more modern technologies.

The front fascia has been significantly revised, with the distinctive boomerang-shaped headlight and fog light assemblies having been replaced by more conventional units. The sweptback headlights, now available with adaptive LED technology, now flow into the reprofiled grille. The rest of the exterior has been left unchanged.

Inside, there’s a redesigned dashboard and steering wheel that borrows its more modern aesthetic from newer Opel and Vauxhall models such as the Astra. As a result, the facelifted Zafira benefits from optimised forward visibility, improved ergonomics as well as a new seven-inch touchscreen that eliminates the button fest of the previous model.

That screen is linked to a choice of two new IntelliLink infotainment systems, R4.0 IntelliLink and Navi 950 IntelliLink, both offering Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. Also available is the OnStar concierge and emergency service with Automatic Crash Response and Destination Download for the Navi 950. The system also adds 4G LTE, so the MPV serve as a WiFi hotspot for up to seven devices – one for each seat.

Other practical touches from the previous model have been retained, such as the MINI Countryman-like FlexRail aluminium centre console rail that enables modular storage compartments like a large armrest console and cupholders to be slid fore and aft along the rails.

There’s also a panoramic windscreen as on recent Citroëns, an optional FlexFit integrated bicycle carrier and an optional Lounge Seating system, with a middle second-row seat that folds and rotates to form armrests for the outer second-row passengers.

The latest Opel Eye forward-facing camera improves the functionality of the facelifted Zafira’s driver assists, such as High Beam Assist and Traffic Sign Assistant. Also available is Forward Distance Indication (FDI), Lane Departure Warning, Adaptive Cruise Control and FlexRide adaptive suspension. The current range of petrol, diesel, liquid petroleum gas (LPG) and compressed natural gas (CNG) engines remain unchanged.

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