The latest MPV will take the fight to newcomers such as Renault's striking new Grand Scenic, as well as established compact seven-seaters in the form of the Citroen Grand C4 Picasso, Ford Grand C-MAX and Volkswagen Touran.

New Zafira Tourers are marked out by a subtle update of the exterior styling, including reshaped front and rear light units, the former featuring adaptive LED lighting which is said to be a segment first.

“The front design of the new Zafira takes over the major characteristics of the one of the award winning new Astra, and anchors it in Opel’s new portfolio. Its sharp, precise double-winged daytime running lights convey a new level of sophistication, which is also reflected in the interior by a completely redesigned instrument panel. It is purer, clearer and easier to use,” said Mark Adams, vice-president, GM Europe Design.

The cabin takes cues from the Astra and Insignia, with a new centrally mounted touchscreen replacing many of the physical buttons on the redesigned dashboard.

Two IntelliLink infotainment systems will be offered for the new Zafira. R4.0 IntelliLink offers Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. Furthermore, Opel will offer Navi 950 IntelliLink for customers looking for an infotainment system with on-board navigation. Opel OnStar will also be offered, with features including Automatic Crash Response as well as other technologies including Destination Download (with Navi 950) and 4G LTE Wi-Fi Hotspot where available.

Functions such as the Flex7 seating, which includes the ability to move the middle row seats inwards as well as rearwards for more space, are unchanged. The Zafira Tourer also retains options such as the six-way adjustable ergonomically certified front seats, FlexRide adaptive damping and the Flex Fix bike carrier, which folds into the rear bumper.

As before in five-seat configuration, the Zafira can carry 710 litres rising to 1,860 litres when the second-row seats are folded down.

Engine details have not been announced yet.