“If you subscribe to
  the school of thought
  that ‘all MPVs are dull
  to look at and dull to
  drive’ then get ready
  for a rude awakening.
  Vauxhall’s testosterone
  charged Zafira VXR
  proves there is Life
  After Kids...”

THE BADGING ON THE BACK says 'Zafira' and 'VXR'. In other words, 'seven-seat family practicality' and 'turbocharged testosterone'. Put them together and you can cease to worry about White Van Man — because here comes Tearaway Family Man…

On first acquaintance it's not easy to pigeon-hole Vauxhall's Zafira VXR. Physically — despite the 237bhp lurking in the engine bay and which, like the dogs of war, is eager to be unleashed — it's obviously and most definitely not a sports saloon/estate but an ultra-quick MPV. Add together 'power' and 'people carrier' and you get a genuine multi-purpose vehicle for the times you're playing chauffeur to the family. You also get an entertaining solo drive for those occasions when you aren't. An agreeable ownership proposition capable of soothing any bruised male egos damaged by trading in the cherished hot hatch/ sports car for the demands of family life!

An MPV you can actually enjoy driving? Well, yes. Vauxhall bills it as 'one of the quickest production MPVs ever made'. Headline figures that will sell the Zafira VXR to like-minded but family-encumbered enthus-iasts are 237bhp from its turbocharged 2.0i 16-valve engine, 236lb ft
of torque, a top speed of 144mph and 0-60mph in 7.2 seconds. And seven seats. Given it drinks petrol and not diesel, its official combined fuel consumption of 29.4mpg is not bad, either.

Distinguishing the VXR version from lesser Zafiras are exclusive 18-inch alloy wheels shod with meaty 225/40 rubber, a 'sporty' honeycomb pattern front grille and air-dam/bumper with integrated front fog lights, deep VXR side sills extensions and rear bumper incorporating twin chromed trapezoidal exhaust tailpipes and a tailgate-topping spoiler. Style-wise, the Zafira's VRX bodykit is nowhere near as brazen as that of the VXR-outfitted Astra, and it actually adds a nicely rakish air to the boxy MPV bodyshape. No doubt that's why it's also offered as an optional add-on 'pack' on three of the other six Zafira models. For the record, it costs £800. Completing 'the look' are trimly defined wheel-arches that form an effective foil to the uncluttered flanks. There's a choice of four VXR-specific paint colours: Flame Red, Arden Blue, Star Silver and Black Sapphire.

Ensuring it appeals to as many members of the family as possible, the Zafira boasts an attractive, well equipped, well thought out and well made interior. Standard equipment includes Vauxhall's Flex7 seating system, air conditioning, electric windows, stereo radio with DAB Digital Audio and integral 6-CD changer with 356 watts per channel and MP3 compatibility, body-hugging Recaro sports front seats with leather-trimmed side bolsters, carbon-fibre effect inserts on the fascia and doors, electric heated door mirrors, Xenon headlights, Interactive Driv-ing System 2-Plus chassis with Continuous Damping Control, cruise control, electric front and rear windows and dark-tinted rear side windows.

The driver gets well laid out controls, all sited within easy reach; a three-spoke sports steering wheel trimmed in soft-feel leather with generous height and reach adjustment and remote stereo controls, unique VXR-branded instrument panel with a large speedometer and rev-counter, VXR gearknob and floor mats, a trip computer and alloy foot pedals. Both Recaro seats, incidentally, offer excellent support with their bolstering — particularly around the shoulders — and are set high enough off the floor for good lower leg comfort. They also provide good height and seat base tilt adjustment, along with manual lumbar support and extendable under-thigh support. And the three-stage heated front seats are brilliant.

We also liked the 'aircraft throttle'-style handbrake — contrary to ex-pectations, it works very well. Other nice features include wipers that sweep from the outer edges into the centre clearing more of the screen and four one-shot auto up/down electric windows fitted as standard. Although the Zafira is easy to reverse and park without them, the optional front and rear audible parking sensors were a bonus.

True to the Zafira's 'family holdall' reputation, there's a good number of stowage spaces dotted around the cabin — from a glasses case above the driver's door to the usefully deep bins fitted between the outer edges of the front seats and the door sills. Handy; and out of the way.

When you need one, buying a people carrier can be a pretty hard thing to avoid and nothing else will do. The only alternative is a bulky multi-seat 4x4 — although these days not everyone wants to be seen driving one. And even if you don't have the full quota of family members to fill every seat, multi-purpose vehicles are so damn useful it's hard not to go with the logical choice.

In practicality terms, the first generation Zafira was a useful family workhorse and proved an immediate hit — not least because of its neatly-packaged and spacious twin 3rd row seats that could be col-lapsed smoothly into the boot floor in seconds, freeing up extra load space. Fold everything that folds, and the Zafira offers a flat load
bay floor with 1,820 litres of storage space.

The current second-generation Zafira is the same, but even better, user, school-run, supermarket and family-friendly MPV, with the same clever packaging and 'trick' seating flexibility that allows the Zafira to be turned from a seven to a six, five, four, three or two-seater in a matter of seconds without having to remove any seats.

Not only is the rearmost pair of individual seats cleverly fashioned, but the 60:40 split middle row bench slides backwards and forwards to accommodate whatever legroom-to-luggage ratio you favour. Along with good side armrests, the two-position backrests made them even more comfortable. Middle row passengers also get their own air con-ditioning vents. Like most seven-seat people carriers, the 6th and 7th seats are best suited for teenagers as leg room for full-grown adults
is rather restricted.

Definitely worth a Brownie point is the luggage roller blind that can be used as normal with five seats up but that also has a place to stow neatly away when all seven are in use. In five-seat mode the intrusion-free boot is quite large, but 'seven up' you're restricted to 140 litres — just enough for two or three squashy bags.

The performance, however, falls unquestionably into the 'adults only' category. Pumped up and raring to go, the 144mph Zafira VXR is a mean performer. Mated to the punchy 1,998cc four-pot turbocharged engine that responds eagerly to the throttle, is a close-ratio six-speed manual gearbox. The chunky, square-ish leather gearknob may not be to everyone's taste, but there's no faulting the gearlever's raised and perfectly-to-hand position on the lower centre stack housing, and the shift action is nicely positive.

Also on hand to sharpen up the 'hotted-up' Zafira's driver-oriented credentials is the 'Sport' button on the dash. Pressing this sharpens up accelerator and steering responses and it also firms up the electronic damping for reduced roll and pitch, making it more responsive during direction changes and more settled during the braking/turn-in/acceler-ation transition when cornering.

Thanks to the lofty driving position, visibility from the embracing Recaro is first class and makes placing the VXR easy. Grip the fat sports steering wheel, plant your right foot… And hang on! The first time you stamp the throttle brings a sense of disbelief that something this tall can race to the horizon so rapidly. First acquaintance also underscores the fact that full-bore take-offs need a firm set of hands on the steer-ing wheel to counter some 'pull-and-tug' as 237bhp is laid down on the tarmac through the front wheels.

Not that there's any shortage of grip to manage it, thanks to the 225/40 Continental Sport Contact tyres and the standard fit IDS2-Plus electronic chassis control with continuous electronic damping that delivers sporty body control. Although the chassis is seldom caught out by even poor road surfaces, the ride can become a mite over-hard when really pressing on.

That noted, the motorway ride is nicely damped and relaxing for all occupants and — where legal — driving at three-figure speeds is smooth, refined and stable. Pick-up at speed in the higher gears is also strong. Travelling thus is a good way to realise the extra-urban fuel consumption of 38.2mpg. For the record, the official figure for town driving is given as 21.1mpg. Our test average worked out to an accep-table 27.1mpg — close enough to the official 29.3mpg.

The steering is sharp enough to attack bends with gusto and adds to the Zafira's easy-to-drive feel. Unexpectedly, in VXR guise the Zafira drives less like a commonsensical midi-MPV and more like a well-sorted hatch. But it's overtaking that is the Zafira VXR's forte. Its 236lb ft of torque between 2,400 and 5,000rpm makes it almost hilariously easy
to rocket pass slower traffic, making other drivers do a double-take.

Thankfully, massive disc brakes at each corner see to it that you can kill your speed as easily as you can increase it. Not only do the mass-ive brakes (321mm ventilated discs at the front) bite reassuringly but there's decent pedal feel. As you'd expect, they're backed-up by ABS and traction control. The brake callipers — front as well as rear — are, in keeping with the current trend, painted a distinctive shade of blue.

Safety is well addressed, with a top five-star EuroNCAP rating. In addition there are driver's and front passenger's front and side impact airbags and curtain airbags for first and second row seating, active-safety front row head restraints, the IDS2-Plus chassis technology, ABS, ESP-plus, Brake Assist, Understeer Control Logic and CDC Con-tinuous Damping. Another useful active safety fitted to the test car was Vauxhall's Adaptive Forward Lighting which allows you to 'see around corners' by adjusting the Xenon headlights to follow the direct-ion of the front wheels. AFL costs £750 and another of its features is
a 'Motorway light' function that, above 65mph, raises the dipped head-light beam to extend the range of vision at higher speeds. The beam automatically returns to its normal position when the road speed falls below 65mph.

Also convenient, particularly for families constantly on the move, is that — despite a highly-tuned turbocharged engine — it requires no regular trips to the dealer. The Zafira VXR benefits from Vauxhall's 20,000-mile annual health check and 40,000-mile/24-month servicing programme, making it easy for owners to calculate their annual run-ning costs.

While the combination of 237bhp and sticky ultra-low profile tyres does make it amusing for the pilot to drive with a fair dose of verve — too much enthusiasm and your rear seat passengers are likely to complain. If you can resist the urge to drive in Playstation style until you're alone — or at least, accompanied by consenting adults — then you could find this VXR-fettled Zafira is just the thing to fulfil all of your family needs.

Vauxhall Zafira 2.0i VXR 7-seat | £22,270 Maximum speed: 144mph | 0-60mph: 7.2 seconds Overall test MPG: 27.1mpg | Power: 237bhp | Torque: 236lb ft CO2 230g/km | VED Band G £300 | Insurance group 15E Visit Vauxhall's website