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First Production Opel Zafira Rolls Off the Line at Rüsselsheim Plant

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Workers pose with the new Opel Zafira at plant

Workers pose with “the new Zafira”

Today Opel announced that the very first Zafira has been driven off the production line at the German automaker’s Rüsselsheim plant. The milestone vehicle was a magma red model with OPC line package, sporting radar-based adaptive cruise control and Adaptive Forward Lighting LED technology.

Opel CEO (and LinkedIn prodigy) Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann, Vice President of Manufacturing Phil Kienle, and Plant Manager Michael Lewald were all in attendance for the landmark event. They posed for two pictures with the Zafira—one serious (above), one fun:

Workers pose with the new Opel Zafira at plant

The new Zafira is just the latest entry in Opel’s ambitious plan to bring a whopping 29 new models to market over the course of the next four years.

“We have once again had a great start. I am proud to work with a team that is so passionate about our products, thus making such successes possible,” said Rüsselsheim Plant Manager Michael Lewald.

The Zafira has been a staple of the compact van segment since it was first introduced in 1999, thanks to the vehicle’s innovative Flex7 seating system, which provides three rows of seating for seven passengers, with a back row that can be folded down for added cargo room. According to Opel, there have been 2.7 million Zafiras sold in the 17 years since its debut.

The new Opel Zafira still features the previous models’ popular AGR-certified ergonomic front seats (Aktion Gesunder Rücken e.V.), FlexFix bicycle carrier, and adaptive FlexRide chassis, while adding on a new exterior design, redesigned cockpit, and enhanced connectivity. The Zafira’s latest generation IntelliLink infotainment system works with both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and the minivan can become a mobile 4G/LTE Wi-Fi hotspot thanks to Opel OnStar.