Vauxhall Zafira VXR

Big alloys, electric blue paintwork and spoilers beef up the looks and make the VXR a sportier beast. Inside there are part-leather seats in the front, with huge side bolsters.

And there's also some mock carbon fibre trim to spice up the dash plus a chunky steering wheel, while Vaux- hall's Flex7 seating system boosts versatility. Compared to the GSi, this Zafira is quick too - reaching 60mph from a standstill in 7.2 seconds and offering a 144mph top speed.

However, the turbocharged 2.0-litre engine, shared with the Astra VXR, isn't particularly smooth or refined. While the four-cylinder unit revs easily enough, the turbo's effect on power delivery isn't as gradual as we'd like. It's almost avalanche-like at times, and on uneven roads the seven-seater suffers from torque steer as it scrabbles for grip.

However, nicely weighted steering and stiff suspension mean the VXR handles much better than you'd expect for a car of this size.

Equally, the ride isn't as harsh as you'd have thought thanks to electronically controlled dampers which allow it to drive like a hot hatch through corners, but remain relatively comfortable over potholes. So is the VXR better than the GSi? If you like your family cars red hot, there are few better choices.