Vauxhall Astra in Europe's best-sellers
A Vauxhall car has once again made the ten most popular cars in Europe list in terms of sales, latest figures reveal.
The new Vauxhall Astra, sold as the Opel Astra in mainland Europe, was the eight best-selling car in Europe in January 2012 with over 17,000 sold, according to the latest figures from JATO Dynamics.
The news will be a boost for Vauxhall's Ellesmere Port plant in Cheshire which builds the Vauxhall Astra hatchback and the new Vauxhall Astra ST (estate) versions of the small family car.
While overall car sales across Europe fell by 7.1 per cent, UK and German sales remained stable. For Vauxhall, this means two of its largest markets remain steady despite only three of the top ten best-selling brands recording sales increases in January 2012 compared to the same month last year.
Vauxhall was the fifth most popular brand in Europe in January with sales of 57,700 cars. The success of the British-built Vauxhall Astra was key to this success.
However, other Vauxhall cars such as the new Vauxhall Corsa and the newest cars in the range, the new Vauxhall Astra GTC Coupe and the new Vauxhall Zafira Tourer, will also have had an impact on sales.
In the UK, Vauxhall is a perennial favourite with new cars buyers. The Vauxhall Astra and the Vauxhall Corsa are regulars in the top five best-sellers and the brand was the second most popular in terms of sales in 2011.
The Vauxhall range will be extended in 2012 with the introduction of the new Vauxhall Mokka compact SUV and in 2013 with Vauxhall's newest city car, the Vauxhall Junior.