New British Built Vauxhall Astra Raises Quality and Value

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• New Astra’s highly competitive pricing and CO₂ emissions announced today
• Ellesmere Port prepares for production of its tenth Vauxhall compact class car
• UK set to retain position as single largest market for Astra

Frankfurt – The new Vauxhall Astra received its global debut today at the Frankfurt Motor Show with the promise of aggressive pricing, exceptional quality, and levels of equipment and technology seldom seen in the compact class.

The entry level Exclusiv 1.4i (87PS) enters the market at £15,675, a mere £270 more than the outgoing equivalent model, yet now offers as standard air conditioning, electronic stability control, 16-inch wheels and an MP3-format radio/CD player with aux-in.

Further up the range, the SRi 1.4i Turbo, with its new-to-range engine, is just £10 more than the current, un-blown SRi 1.8-litre petrol, yet retains its 140PS output, reduces CO₂ emissions by 18 per cent and Benefit in Kind tax by seven bands. Equipment levels rise too, with an electronic parking brake, centre armrest and active head restraints all standard.

The lead-in diesel-powered model’s price has also barely budged. Compared with the current Life 1.7 CDTi 100PS, the new and more powerful Exclusiv 1.7 CDTi 110PS drops a VED band, thanks to a 11g/km reduction in CO₂, has even more standard equipment, yet costs just £15 more at £18,015.

Helping reduce the cost of Astra ownership still further has resulted in lower insurance group ratings. For example, an Exclusiv 1.4i (100PS) drops from a 5E/10E rating for the old model to a 3E/9E for the equivalent car in the new range. Similarly, an outgoing SE 1.6-litre (115PS) slides from 7E/13E (current) to 4E/12E (new), and an SRi 1.7 CDTi (125PS) from 12E/21E (current) to 5E/15E (new).

Vauxhall dealers’ order books are now open for the new Astra, with the first cars reaching showrooms in December.

BRITAIN’S BEST-SELLING UK-BUILT CAR IS RE-BORN AND REVITALISED

• Premium design and quality in value sector of UK’s compact class
• Innovation and technology rarely found in Astra’s market sector
• Unique, efficient and driver-focused chassis set to rival class-best

Vauxhall’s all-new Astra is poised to raise the bar for compact cars sold in the UK, with a combination of stylish design, class-leading dynamics, ultra-efficient powertrains and upscale quality.

On sale now, and in UK showrooms from December, the new Astra will uphold Vauxhall’s tradition of offering buyers levels of innovation and technology normally found in a class above, but at a price point embedded in the value sector. New Astra prices start at £15,675 for the comprehensively equipped 1.4-litre, 87PS Exclusiv model and extend to £23,695 for the luxurious 2.0CDTi 160PS Elite automatic.

With a range of eight engines and five trim levels, the new Astra will initially be available as a five-door hatchback only, built at the Ellesmere Port plant in Cheshire, home to all Vauxhall’s compact-class cars since it opened 46 years ago.

Ellesmere Port will be responsible from launch for manufacturing all Astras sold across Europe, but UK buyers will take the lion’s share, amounting to 25 per cent of total production. Small wonder, then,  that even in its outgoing form, the Astra is Britain’s best-selling UK-built car and one that is almost always seen in the top three sales listings.

What’s more, the Lower Medium Sector, in which the Astra sits, is hugely significant in the UK, accounting for 17.7 per cent of all retail car sales. With style-conscious buyers choosing Vauxhall more and more, the Astra has a large part to play in this continued success, along with its continued appeal to buyers in the fleet market.

“As with the Insignia, the Astra is an all-new car, continuing the transformation of the Vauxhall product range which started five years ago with the launch of the Mk 5 model,” said Andy Gilson, Vauxhall’s Marketing Director. “Also like the Insignia, the Astra aims to attract a new group of buyers, those who may never have considered a Vauxhall before, but now see cars like  the new Astra as offering all the style and quality of a premium product, such as an Audi A3, but at a far more affordable price point. “