Vauxhall Astra (2010)

Launched at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show, the all-new Vauxhall 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 2009, 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 Vauxhall 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 Vauxhall 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 Vauxhall 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 Vauxhall Astra sits, is hugely significant in the UK, accounting for 17.5 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 success, along with its continued appeal to buyers in the fleet market.