!NEW! Opel Passenger Car Sales up Almost 22 Percent in January

• Great start to 2016 with best January result since 2008
• Market share in Germany up by 1.2 percentage points
• Opel Astra shines with over 100,000 orders across Europe
• Further momentum expected from Opel Astra Sports Tourer Launch

Shooting star: Sales of the new Opel Astra topped 1,700 in January, an increase of more than 120 percent compared to sales of its predecessor in January of last year.

Opel has delivered excellent January result on the important German market: Opel passenger car sales were up by almost 22 percent compared to the same month of last year to around 16,500 cars. The Rüsselsheim-based carmaker’s best January result since 2008 saw the brand outgrow the overall passenger car market considerably – it grew by 3.4 percent. Opel’s passenger car market share also grew by 1.2 percentage points to 7.6 percent – the highest January value for eight years.

Popular compact class car: 1,700 units of the new Opel Astra were driven away by customers across Germany in January.

Opel’s excellent start to the year is mainly based on the high demand for the new Astra. Over 1,700 units of the current generation, only launched last October, were sold in January – an increase of more than 120 percent compared to sales of its predecessor last January. The Astra claimed second please in the compact class segment (C-Segment). Over 100,000 orders for the winner of the Golden Steering Wheel have already been placed across Europe.

Opel Meriva was another driver for success on the German market: New registrations for Opel flexibility champion were up by roughly 22 percent to more than 1,300 units giving it first place in the MPV B-Segment.

Successful Meriva: Sales for the Opel flexibility champion were up by around 22 percent in Germany to more than 1,300 units

“We managed to take the momentum into January after posting good 2015 end of year results. We really got off to a perfect start: our product offensive is paying dividends. We expect a further boost from the Opel Astra Sports Tourer which will be delivered in Germany as of April,” said Jürgen Keller, Opel's Executive Director Sales, Marketing & Service Germany.

¹ Numbers based on preliminary figure of the Federal Motor Transport Authority (KBA)