Vauxhall Hottest Brand In June Sales-Sizzler

LUTON, UNITED KINGDOM – July 6, 2010: Vauxhall has sold more cars than any other UK manufacturer in June, with a total of 30,190 vehicles registered last month, according to figures published by the SMMT today. The Astra was also Britain’s best-selling range in June - overall and for fleet - bringing to a close a hugely successful first half-year for the Luton company.

The first six months of 2010 also revealed the sustained popularity of the Astra range, which conquered the hotly contested retail sales battle in its segment between January 1 and June 30. Fighting off tough competition from both the Ford Focus and Volkswagen Golf, the Astra range – which includes the UK-built Estate and new 5-door hatch – sold a total of 14,415 cars.

“This is great news for us,” said Duncan Aldred, Vauxhall’s Managing Director. “Product is king for UK buyers and our June sales prove that we’re ticking all the right boxes with customers when it comes to the quality, performance and value of our cars. The new Astra, for example, is perceived as a premium product in its segment, but one that still offers great value for money. The fact that we’re building it in Britain is the icing on the cake.”

But the Astra wasn’t the only top-seller from Vauxhall in the first half of this year. The ever-popular Zafira was revealed as the UK’s best-selling compact MPV overall, with a total of 15,392 sales since January. With its clever Flex7 seating system, wide range of efficient engines and trims, the Zafira has become a benchmark for quality and versatility in its class, with a total of over 420,000 sold since the original model was launched in 1998.

The Insignia was another segment leader after the first six months of the year. Fighting off stiff competition from the BMW 3-Series, 15,575 cars were sold, reinforcing its position as a market leader for design, technology and driveability.

The new Astra range receives a further boost later this year when the Sports Tourer model joins the line-up. Blending sleek, rakish lines with a cargo capacity of up to 1550 litres, the Sports Tourer will only be built at Vauxhall’s manufacturing plant in Ellesmere Port, Cheshire for the whole of Europe.