The New Opel Astra: More than 100,000 Orders Throughout Europe

RÜSSELSHEIM, GERMANY – March 12, 2010: The new generation five-door Astra has exceeded expectations with more than 100,000 orders throughout Europe since its market start in December. The great reception will now mean that a third shift in Opel’s production plant in Gliwice, Poland will be added in the second quarter.

Already the new compact car has exceeded projections by 10 percent. Opel anticipated 180,000 orders of the new Astra for its first full year of sales. In Germany alone, registrations for the first two months of 2010 for the new Astra rose by 38 percent compared with the same period last year. With this, the Astra holds the number two spot in the compact class in Germany.

Currently the new Astra is available as a five-door hatchback. A new station wagon will follow.

Not just the buying public is enamored with the new Astra. Opel’s compact has also been honored throughout Europe’s automotive world for its design, innovation and technology. Even before it was on sale, the new Astra won the Goldenes Lenkrad (Golden Steering Wheel) Award by Germany’s AutoBild magazine and its European affiliates.

In Spain, it is the only car ever to receive three top honors in the automotive press: It was named Spain’s Best Car of the Year by 54 automotive journalists in a poll sponsored by ABC newspaper. The Astra was Readers Choice by Spain’s Prensa Ibérica, the newspaper La Vanguardia and the motor magazine Autofáci. And, it was crowned Car of the Year 2010 in the Canary Islands.

“Our traditional strength of offering innovative technologies at affordable prices are well-received by customers in these hard economic times,” said Alain Visser, Vice President, Sales & Marketing. “This proves our mixture of innovative technologies, a sporty, yet elegant design and top-quality manufacturing works.”