Opel is expanding its lineup next year with a CNG powered version of its Zafira Tourer. The 10 GGE tank (which holds about 55 lbs of natural gas) should have a range of just over 300 miles – a record, Opel promises.
The new Zafira Tourer isn’t Opel’s first alternative-fuel vehicle, but they’ve worked hard to improve on previous models. The Zafira Tourer 1.6 CNG Turbo Ecoflex has about 150 HP and puts out a maximum 155 ft./lbs. of torque. It reaches a top speed of 124 mph, enough to break every speed limit in the United States.
Holds More, Runs on Less
The Zafira’s natural gas tanks are in the floor of the vehicle, leaving the rear open for storage. Since fuel capacity has increased significantly over the previous model, the range is also up. It lives up to the “flex” part of its name, too – it can run on CNG, biofuel, or a mixture of the two. The Zafira Tourer even includes a 3.7 gallon emergency gas tank (standard gasoline), which gives it a 93 mile safety net.
Compared to the previous CNG Zafira, the Tourer is also more fuel efficient and has lower CO2 emissions – it travels 30 miles on one GGE of CNG, a 6% improvement on the previous version, and its emissions are down by 10 g/km to 129 g/km. Opel doesn’t stop comparisons at its own previous models – it goes on to claim that the relative low cost of CNG means that the cost of operating the eco-Tourer is half that of a similar gas-driven vehicle.
Opel’s green offering goes on sale in January of next year.
Source: Gas2.0
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