Flexibility is once again the key element for the new Opel Zafira Tourer, and this is the same approach that made the first two generations of the German MPV a commercial success. This third generation has expanded this concept even further, making the new Zafira even more livable, versatile and, all in all, appealing.

As in the first two incarnations of this model, the extremely flexible seating concept of its cabin - that allows you to arrange the seats in order to organize the space the way you want with basically no effort - is Zafira’s best calling card. This system, called Flex7, has been improved even more as now the second row is no longer one single couch but is made of three independent seats that can be folded and slid separately. Each one of them can move longitudinally by up to 210mm, while the backs of the three seats can be reclined in four different positions (0, 16, 20 and 24 degrees).

The other big news about the new Zafira is the Lounge Seating system , that “allows second-row passengers to enjoy first class room and comfort, like in a Limo”. This particular configuration will come as standard equipment for the Cosmo outfit and will be available on request for the Elective. This system extends second row side seats travel up to 280 mm (longest slide of the segment) and allows them to move 50 mm toward the middle, which is something completely new.

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Again the MPV war in Europe heats up with the new Opel Zafira Tourer on the market. As we can see in the pic above, the upmarket Tourer version has a new-look Ampera front compared to the standard Zafira, which is definitely a whole lot sexier (and yes, we know we’re talking about an MPV). The Tourer also gets extra goodies like Opel’s Flex7 seating arrangement, FlexRide electronic suspension control and a whole series of safety features which you can see here.

We wonder where that leaves the standard Opel Zafira in the future in the lineup. The more compact Meriva recently got a restyling and the Zafira Tourer might in the future become the one large MPV model as the standard model slowly drops off the list. All of that of course will depend on price and just how much customers want the fancier elements of the Tourer.

Autobild says the Opel Zafira price for 2012 starts at 23,000 euros which is pretty damn reasonable. They’ve got no word on the Tourer price though, meaning we don’t know what kind of premium it has and how the dynamics between the two models will pan out. The Tourer will be officially presented at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show.

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We’re guessing one of the great Bordeaux wine estates (possibly Chateau Mouton Rothschild but I’m not sure) was deemed an appropriately luxurious location with beautiful surrounding scenery for the Opel Zafira Tourer video. I would have been filling the boot with cases of wine, not pictures, though.

Unfortunately the video doesn’t give us much of an interior look at the Zafira Tourer and is more about creating a luxurious ambience of people enjoying weekend drives. In any case, the Opel Zafira Tourer production model will go on show at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show in September and we hope to have a play inside, checking out the new Flex7 seating and other goodies.

There is no word on pricing at the moment, although we do know that the Zafira Tourer will be available with a 1.4-litre petrol engine in 120 and 140 hp powersteps, and a 2.0 CDTI diesel with either 110, 130 or 165 hp.

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The new Opel Zafira Tourer has been released before its 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show debut later this year in September. The model is a fancier version of the standard Zafira and is quite close to the concept Tourer version which was shown at Geneva. The Zafira Tourer is designed as an innovative but premium model and includes a lot of gizmos and technical features, particularly inside.

The key to the innovative-premium mix is the Flex7 seating arrangement where seats can be moved to create a more comfortable and ambient atmosphere. Up to seven people can be seated in the Zafira Tourer, but if you want to take full advantage of the new seats, folding the third row down creates a completely flat luggage space at the rear. In five seat configuration, the boot space offers 710 litres, increasing to 1,860 litres when all seats are down.

The second row comprises three separate seats and plenty of room to move them. The middle seat can be folded down to create an armrest and the others can be moved sideways by 50mm (towards the centre), or up and down by 280 mm to create an overall super-comfy cabin space for four people. There is a “FlexConsole” space for objects inside and on the whole, it looks like Opel has really worked on giving a new comfortable touch to the “people mover”.

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