Volkswagen Transporter vs Opel Zafira vs Hyundai Staria: Which is the best value for money?

People movers have increased in popularity over the past decade as consumers look to acquire more space and specification for their hard-earned rands. Volkswagen's Transporter line-up features clever ergonimics, solid powertrains and is competitively priced but has competent rivals such as the Opel Zafira and Hyundai Staria. For today's comparison, we will be comparing the Trendline-spec Transporter with the Zafira Elegance and the Hyundai Staria Elite to determine which offers the best value for money.

Practicality

In terms of dimensions, both the Zafira and the Staria have an advantage over the Transporter. When we look at seating, the Volkswagen offers seating for seven, the Opel seating for eight and the Hyundai for nine occupants. When looking at boot space with all the seats in place, it is the Zafira that offers the most with 1 060-litres with the Staria in second at 831-litres and the Transporter in this with 763-litres.

In terms of performance, the Volkswagen has an advantage, sporting the highest power and torque figures, followed by the Hyundai and finally the Opel. When looking at efficiency, all three products have turbodiesel engines and automatic gearboxes, but it is the Opel with the lowest claimed figure.

	Volkswagen Transporter 2.0BiTDI 146kW Kombi SWB Trandline Plus 4Motion	Opel Zafira Life 2.0TD Elegance	Hyundai Staria 2.2D Elite
Engine	2.0-litre, 4-cylinder turbodiesel	2.0-litre, 4-cylinder turbodiesel	2.2-litre, 4-cylinder turbodiesel
Transmission	7-speed dual-clutch automatic	8-speed automatic	8-speed automatic
Power	146 kW	110 kW	130 kW
Torque	450 Nm	370 Nm	430 Nm
Kerb weight	1 976kg	1 801kg	2 200kg
Boot space	763-litres	1 060-litres	831-litres
CO2 emissions	214 g/km	165 g/km	189 g/km
Fuel consumption	8.2 L/100km	6.3 L/100km	8.7 L/100km
Price	R988 600	R902 900	R964 900

*This table was compiled with information sourced from www.duoporta.co.za as well as the official press releases of each model.

All three models feature the basics, with ABS, airbags (two in the Transporter, four in the Zafira and six in the Staria), ISOFIX child seat anchor points, alloy wheels, multifunction steering wheels, artificial leather seats, airconditioning, multifunction steering wheels, touchscreen infotainment systems with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and reverse cameras with front and rear PDC.

Both the Opel and Hyundai get adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist and keyless entry/start. Specification advantages for the Opel include a panoramic roof and a head-up display while the Hyundai gets multiple USB ports, an electrically operated tailgate and heated/ventilated second-row seats.

The Transporter was crash tested by Euro NCAP and earned a gold medal in the commercial vehicle category. The Opel has yet to be tested by Euro NCAP, but its mechanical twin the Peugeot Traveller was tested in 2015 and received 5-Stars, with 87% for adult occupant safety, 91% for child occupant safety, 64% for vulnerable road users and 78% for its safety assistance systems. The Hyundai was tested by the ANCAP programme in 2021 and received a 5-Star rating a total score of 32.38 points from a possible 38.

In the warranty and service department, the Volkswagen offers a 5-year/60 000km maintenance plan and a 3-year/120 000km warranty while the Opel gets a 5-year/100 000km warranty and service plan. The Hyundai comes with a 6-year/90 000km service plan and a 5-year/150 000km warranty with an additional 7-year/200 000km powertrain warranty.

Looking at the data, we would say that the Opel Zafira Life offers the bets value for money based on its lower list price and solid performance across a variety of categories.