It made its debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show back in September, but now Opel is ready to unleash its natural gas ecoFLEX version of the Zafira Tourer on the world.
The vehicle, which offers a range of up to 329miles, delivers 110kW with 210Nm of torque and has a top speed of 124mph. It uses 4.7kg of natural gas per 100km in the combined cycle – that’s six per cent better than the predecessor Zafira compressed natural gas model; and its CO2 emissions have also been reduced from 139g/km to 129g/km. In addition, the 1.6litre engine can run on biogas or a mixture of natural gas and biogas.
The extended natural gas range is in the region of 25 per cent compared to its predecessor. The enhancement has been achieved primarily through a new lightweight gas tank system and an optimised drivetrain.
Furthermore, Opel engineers have increased the volume of the gas tanks to 25kg, which helps boost operative range. Indeed rather than using conventional steel gas cylinders, they have opted for advanced composite materials, such as carbon fibre.
Opel, the European brand of General Motors, has been selling compressed natural gas vehicles since 2001 and during that time has sold more than 70,000 models across the continent. More than two thirds of total sales have been compressed natural gas versions of the Zafira making it the undisputed best seller and flagship of the brand’s natural gas range.
