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Opel performed the world debut of its first Compressed Natural Gas compact
van with a turbocharger, the Zafira ecoM, at the Bologna motor show. This
particular variant of Opel's 7-seater minivan is equipped with a 1.6-liter turbo
engine designed to run on either natural gas, bio-methane or any mixture of the
two. The unit is provided with special pistons, valves and valve seats, plus
separate injection systems for natural gas and gasoline. The engine has an
output of 150HP offering the Zafira a top speed of 200 km/h (124 mph) and an
average consumption of 5.3 kg of natural gas per 100 km in the MVEG cycle,
emitting 144 g/km of CO2.
In gas mode alone, the vehicle can drive up to 370 km (230 miles), while the
14-liter reserve gasoline tank provides an additional range of 150 km (93 miles)
for maximum flexibility.
Thanks to the cleverly designed underfloor arrangement of the four gas tanks
around the rear axle, the Zafira's interior retains in full all its advantages
in terms of variability and space. Just like its sister models, the Zafira ecoM
features Opel's Flex7 seating system which enables the interior to be quickly
converted from a seven-seater to a two-seater without any complicated procedure
of removing the seats.
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