10 Nov 05
The ratios of the six-speed manual gearbox are quite well judged, which means you get meaningful response just about anywhere in the speed range. Overtaking is laughably easy. The only problem is that other road users are sometimes taken by surprise at the Zafira's ridiculous pace. You just don't expect to be slam-dunked by a Mummy-mobile.
The performance is not an issue, but we'd never call this an enthusiast's car. Even though it sits on a hot-hatch underpinnings, its MPV bodystyle means that the centre of gravity is way too high. Fun to drive in the way that the Golf GTi, Astra VXR, Focus ST are? Absolutely no way.
We suspect that the Zafira VXR will be bought by those who want to feel that they're not abandoning themselves to an MPV "life-stage" and all that that implies. And there really is huge amusement to be had in the incongruity of it all.
So the £21,995 Zafira VXR will make you laugh, much in the way a big-block V8 powered shopping trolley will - and for largely the same reason.
