Offering a perfect blend of functionality and comfort, the new Opel Zafira Tourer transports the Insignia values to the monocab segment - premium qualities, innovative technologies, sculptural and dynamic design. Opel established the seven-seat compact van segment in 1999. The third-generation Zafira's innovations go well beyond adding a full newly developed, flexible seating configuration. The Zafira Tourer as a whole demonstrates a big step forward and expresses new ambitions. For the structural layout of the body, the major challenges were found in the design theme itself; with its streamlined, aerodynamic body design, the Zafira Tourer's silhouette is reminiscent of a high-speed train; moving the interpretation of a cap forward design to a new dimension. The driver's visibility has been greatly improved thanks to a completely re-designed front with slim A-pillars & large side windows. Challenges enough, not yet - today's safety and comfort features were added and brought the Zafira Tourer to its final shape. Steel as the main body design material; shaped and profiled to enable maximum safety to the passengers. A close to 50 % increased usage of higher strength steel, replacing mild steel. First to market Dual Phase hydroformed A-Pillars, using the same material also as the backbone of the body design to enable safety standard. Manufacturing challenges were found in the plant implementation with a concurrent build of other models and in parallel enabling enhanced joining technics with moderate costs. Simulation and its availability of MDO technics, using different load cases for optimization were the key enablers to reduce body weight and further reduce the cost intensive hardware need. With static torsional rigidity of 17000 Nm/° or in other words an increase of 24 % by it's predecessor the Opel Zafira Tourer provides even in critical situations a perfect handling. The first natural frequency was nearly kept from the predecessor and enables the premium driving performance and the acoustic behavior as requested. Eventhough the design was challenging and not following the conventional boxy designs of the competition, the Zafira Tourer had to fulfil all today's and upcoming legal and consumer crash tests with excellence. Thanks to the all around usage of energy absorbing zones and parts protecting the passenger cell staying stable. The materials were selected to enable safety in front, side and roof criteria, also taking pedestrian protection into account. The highest steel grades and form hardened parts in local areas created a rigid passenger cell for best passenger protection. With a total of 24 points for front and side crash incidents; the Zafira Tourer earns 5 stars in front and side crash and 4 stars for child safety.