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Astra overtakes newly-launched rival to become UK’s top seller
for February
Vauxhall takes overall number one manufacturer spot in car sales
charts
Corsa and Zafira dominate their sectors
Buyers made the Astra Britain’s best selling car in February
– despite the launch of some very high profile rivals. Official
figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT)
show that 4703 Astras found new homes last month, giving it six per
cent of the total market.
Strong sales of the Astra added to Vauxhall’s other February
successes, giving it the overall number one manufacturer spot with
11,817 car sales. Corsa continued to dominate the supermini sector
and came in at number three in the charts, while the Zafira was the
only MPV to appear in the top 10 – despite a new model being just
around the corner.
The Astra’s impressive performance is expected to become even
stronger over the next few months, when the stylish Sport Hatch
models finally reach eager buyers. Vauxhall is also working hard to
secure extra production of the sportier SRi and SXi models, which
have been in especially high demand. Almost a fifth of all Astras
registered last month were these sporty variants, which bodes well
for the launch of the storming 240bhp VXR, due to go on sale in
September.
Bill Parfitt, Vauxhall’s Executive Director for UK & Ireland
said: "It’s particularly gratifying to ‘do the double’
with both the car and manufacturer top sales spots in a month when
our main rivals are launching new products. It proves that customers
really appreciate the stylish looks and driving dynamics which the
Astra – and all Vauxhalls – provide. The arrival of the Sport
Hatch, plus extra-value models such as the Breeze special editions,
mean that we intend to push the pedal further over the next few
months."
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Astra - Britain's best seller
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