Vauxhall Astra Crowned ‘Best Family Car’ at 2024 Business Car Awards

• Vauxhall wins two awards at the 2024 Business Car Awards
• Vauxhall Astra named ‘Best Family Car’ for the third year running
• Vauxhall also wins the ‘Best Fleet Website’ award for the second time
• Judges praised the Astra’s eye-catching design, low running costs and high equipment levels
• Available as the fully electric Astra Electric with a range of up to 258 miles (WLTP)
• By the end of 2024, all Vauxhall cars and vans will be available with a fully electric version

Vauxhall Astra has been named ‘Best Family Car’ at the 2024 Business Car Awards, for the third year in a row. Vauxhall was also awarded with the ‘Best Fleet Website’ prize at the ceremony held in London last night.

The annual Business Car Awards recognise and reward excellence in the automotive fleet sector, highlighting innovation and expertise amongst suppliers and fleet operators. The Vauxhall Astra was once again praised by judges for its low running costs and eye-catching design.

Available as a hatch or Sports Tourer estate, with petrol, plug-in hybrid and fully electric options, the Astra caters for a wide variety of needs. With zero-emissions-in-use, the Astra Electric qualifies for a Benefit-in-Kind rate of just 2% (2024/25), making it particularly well suited to both fleet and business users. The Astra Sports Tourer Electric is one of the few all-electric estate cars available on the market, providing greater choice and practicality to customers and fleet operators.

Martyn Collins, Editor, Business Car, said: “For the third year in a row, Vauxhall’s Astra is again our favourite family car. Not many rivals can offer the version and body style options of the Astra. Its design remains eye-catching and attractive, with low running costs, and all are well-equipped.”

Vauxhall’s website was praised for its vibrant design and clarity for potential fleet customers, making it simple and accessible for decision makers wanting to find out more about how the brand can meet their needs.

Martyn Collins commented: “Vauxhall’s bright website design was praised by our editorial team. In our opinion, it’s the best all-round website, as we felt it had an exceptional fleet focus. As such, it wins our Best Fleet Website accolade again for 2024.”

James Taylor, Managing Director, Vauxhall, said: “Vauxhall’s continued success at the Business Car Awards, with the Astra being named Best Family Car for the third year in a row, demonstrates that our model line-up is as appealing as ever. It’s also rewarding to see the quality of our website recognised by the judges once again. Whether it’s fleet or private buyers, Vauxhall is committed to driving Britain towards an electric future and supporting those who want to make the switch.”

By the end of this year, Vauxhall will offer a fully electric version of every car and van in its line-up. Vauxhall was the UK’s best-selling electric van manufacturer in 2023 and is the leading electric car brand year-to-date across retail and Motability channels combined.

Vauxhall Astra wins ‘Best Medium Car’ at 2024 Business Motoring Awards

• Vauxhall Astra named ‘Best Medium Car’ at 2024 Business Motoring Awards.
• Judges praised Astra’s driving experience, low ownership costs and build quality
• Available as fully electric Vauxhall Astra Electric with a range of up to 258 miles (WLTP)
• Customers can also choose from petrol, hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains

Vauxhall Astra has been named ‘Best Medium Car’ at 2024 Business Motoring Awards.

Business Motoring Awards are now in their tenth year and continue to provide a valuable spotlight on the market leaders in SME sector. Awards are judged by an independent panel of automotive experts and members of  Business Motoring editorial team, who praised Astra’s driving experience, low ownership costs and impressive build quality.

Available as a hatch or Sports Tourer estate, with petrol, hybrid, plug-in hybrid and fully electric variants, Vauxhall Astra caters for a wide range of drivers. With zero-emissions-in-use, the Astra Electric qualifies for a Benefit-in-Kind rate of just 2% (2023/24), making it particularly well suited to both fleet and business users.

Chris Wright, Editor, Business Motoring, said: “Latest Astra is a great to drive as ever but more importantly, brand has worked hard to bring down ownership costs so car is now even more accessible. Build quality is also excellent and whole package feels well thought out.”

James Taylor, Managing Director, Vauxhall, said: “Vauxhall’s success at Business Motoring Awards is proof that Astra is a more attractive proposition than ever. With low running costs and a wide range of powertrains to choose from, including fully electric Astra Electric, Astra is an ideal choice for businesses of all sizes.”

Astra Electric is powered by Vauxhall’s next-generation 54kWh battery and a 156hp electric motor. It achieves impressive efficiency of 4.2 miles per kWh, providing up to 258 miles of range (WLTP). 

Vauxhall will offer a fully electric version of every model in its line-up by end of 2024.

Vauxhall wins ‘Best Family Car’ and ‘Best Fleet Website’ award at 2023 Business Car Awards

• Vauxhall takes home two awards at the 2023 Business Car Awards
• Vauxhall Astra named ‘Best Family Car’ for the second year running, while Vauxhall also wins the ‘Best Fleet Website’ award
• Judges praised Astra’s attractive design, low running costs and high equipment levels
• Astra available as a fully electric model with a range of up to 258 miles (WLTP)
• Vauxhall is committed to electrifying Britain and will be an electric-only brand by 2028

Vauxhall Astra has been named ‘Best Family Car’ at the 2023 Business Car Awards. Vauxhall also won ‘Best Fleet Website’ at the ceremony held in London last night.

Annual Business Car Awards recognise and reward excellence in the fleet market, highlighting the best cars for fleets across various categories. Vauxhall Astra received praise from judges for its low running costs and eye-catching design.

Available as a hatch or Sports Tourer estate, with petrol, plug-in hybrid and fully electric variants, Astra caters for a wide variety of needs. With zero-emissions-in-use, Astra Electric qualifies for a Benefit-in-Kind rate of just 2% (2023/24), making it particularly well suited to both fleet and business users. It will also be soon joined by Astra Sports Tourer Electric, furthering choice for Vauxhall customers who are looking to go electric.

Martyn Collins, Editor, Business Car, said: “With addition of more versions and body styles, Vauxhall has strengthened the Astra’s position. Hatch or estate, this Vauxhall’s design is eye-catching and attractive. PHEV and new EV models keep running costs low and all are well-equipped.”

Vauxhall’s website was praised for focusing on making it easy for fleet users and decision makers to learn about how Vauxhall can meet their needs.

Martyn Collins, Editor, Business Car, commented: “Vauxhall’s bright and clear website design was praised by our editorial team. However, it is the content, which is so much more considerate of fleets than any other top 10 OEM, that wins it our award.”

James Taylor, Managing Director, Vauxhall, said: “It is rewarding to see Vauxhall’s continued success at Business Car Awards, with Astra named Best Family Car for second year running. With new Astra Electric now on sale, it’s proof that Astra is a more attractive proposition than ever. It’s also pleasing to see quality of our fleet website recognised by judges. Whether it’s fleet or private buyers, Vauxhall is committed to making switch to electric as easy as possible as we lead the way in driving Britain towards an electric future.”

With the pending arrival of  Astra Sports Tourer Electric, Vauxhall will have a choice of six fully electric models across its passenger car range, in addition to being one of few brands to offer a fully electric model across its LCV line-up. From 2024, Vauxhall will offer a fully electric version across its entire range ahead of becoming an electric-only brand by 2028.

All-New Vauxhall Astra named 'Best Family Hatch' by Top Gear

• All-New Vauxhall Astra named ‘Best Family Hatch of the Year’ at 2022 TopGear.com Awards
• All-New Astra is available as a Plug-in Hybrid with up to 43 miles of electric-only range
• TopGear praised All-New Astra on key criteria including efficiency and interior space
• Fully electric version of All-New Astra & All-New Astra Sports Tourer due in 2023
• Vauxhall committed to being an electric only brand by 2028 

All-New Vauxhall Astra has been named ‘Best Family Hatch of the Year’ at the 2022 TopGear.com Awards. This marks the second consecutive win for Vauxhall at Top Gear’s prestigious awards, following the Vauxhall Mokka being awarded ‘Design of the Year’ at the 2021 TopGear.com Awards.

All-New Vauxhall Astra gives customers the choice of petrol and diesel variants as well as a highly efficient Plug-in Hybrid model, capable of travelling up to 43 miles (WLTP, EAER) on electric power alone, with emissions as low as 23g/km CO2. All-electric versions of Astra and Astra Sports Tourer will arrive in 2023.

Coming out on top in a highly competitive category, TopGear praised All-New Astra across a number of areas important for family buyers, including cost, emissions and space.

Jack Rix, Editor, TopGear, said: “Ordinary cars fascinate us. They’re the hardest of all to design and engineer because every penny is counted, every last gramme of CO2 matters, every millimetre of space is measured, and faults are unforgivingly exposed by the brutalities of daily use. The best of them meet those tedious goals while being more desirable than the next company’s product that was built to exactly the same parameters. This year, that has been best achieved by the Astra.”

James Taylor, Managing Director, Vauxhall, said: “It is exciting to see Vauxhall once again recognised by TopGear. Family hatch segment is incredibly competitive and there is such a strong mix of popular models to stand out amongst. From launch, All-New Astra has proven to be a popular model with drivers and industry experts, and this award is a testament to the hard work from everyone at Vauxhall as we look forward to introducing a fully electric Astra next year on our journey to being electric-only from 2028.”

Recognition in the 2022 TopGear.com Awards follows recent success for the Astra in this year’s Business Car Awards, as the model was named winner of the ‘Best Family Car’ category.

All-New Vauxhall Astra named ‘Best Family Car’ at 2022 Business Car Awards

• Business Car has named the All-New Vauxhall Astra its ‘Best Family Car’
• Judges praised the All-New Astra’s attractive design, competitive pricing and value for money
• All-New Astra is available as a Plug-in Hybrid with up to 43 miles of electric-only range
• Fully electric version of All-New Astra & All-New Astra Sports Tourer due in 2023
• Vauxhall is committed to electrifying Britain and will be an electric-only brand by 2028

All-New Vauxhall Astra has won the ‘Best Family Car’ category at the 2022 Business Car Awards.

Annual Business Car Awards recognise and reward excellence in the fleet market, highlighting the best cars for fleets across various categories. All-New Astra received praise from judges for its competitive pricing and eye-catching design.

All-New Vauxhall Astra gives customers the choice of powertrains – offering petrol and diesel variants and a highly efficient Plug-in Hybrid model, capable of travelling up to 43 miles (WLTP, EAER) on electric power alone and therefore in the eight per cent Benefit-in-Kind taxation category. With emissions as low as 24g/km CO2, All-New Astra is ideal for both fleets and private buyers looking to save on running costs. An all-electric version of Astra and Astra Sports Tourer will arrive in 2023. 

Martyn Collins, Editor, Business Car, said: “Vizor front is a highlight, but the new Vauxhall Astra’s overall design is a bit of a head turner. Inside is equally attractive, with its minimalist look. Prices are competitive, plus there are PHEV versions to keep running costs down and standard specifications represent great value for money.”

James Taylor, Acting Managing Director, Vauxhall, said: “It is rewarding to see such a positive response to the All-New Astra. Vauxhall’s success at the Business Car Awards demonstrates our commitment to design, innovation and leading the way in driving Britain towards an electric future, with an efficient Plug-in Hybrid model available from launch and a fully electric Astra arriving next year.”

All-New Astra can be ordered entirely online via the Vauxhall Online Store, bringing the brand’s showroom experience straight into buyers’ homes. Customers can arrange a live video tour of a vehicle via the Vauxhall Virtual Showroom and proceed to the Online Store to configure their vehicle, personalise finance payments and place an order, all from the comfort of their home.

Diamond Jubilee: Vauxhall celebrates 60 years of manufacturing at Ellesmere Port

• Vauxhall’s Ellesmere Port plant is celebrating 60 years of manufacturing
• Diamond jubilee comes as Ellesmere Port looks ahead to producing the next generation of battery electric LCV and passenger car models
• £100 million investment in Ellesmere Port by parent group Stellantis was announced last year to support its transformation to electric vehicle manufacturing
• Stellantis commitment to net zero globally by 2038 and to halve carbon impact by 2030

Celebrations coincide with final Vauxhall Astra rolling off the production line with more than 4 million built at Ellesmere Port across seven generations

Vauxhall is celebrating an incredible 60 years of manufacturing at its Ellesmere Port plant ahead of its £100 million transformation into the first Stellantis plant to produce solely battery-electric models by the end of the year.

Ellesmere Port opened in 1962 and began as a production plant for the Vauxhall Viva. Since then it has produced iconic models from the Vauxhall range including the Chevette and successive generations of the Vauxhall and Opel Astra. In total, more than 5.2 million vehicles have rolled off the production lines at Ellesmere Port over the past 60 years.

The diamond jubilee comes as Ellesmere Port readies itself for a £100 million upgrade to become the first Stellantis plant to produce solely battery-electric models, from early next year.

The popular Vauxhall Combo-e and its Opel equivalent will be some of the first electric vehicles to be produced at Ellesmere when the plant reopens, along with Peugeot e-Partner and Citroën e-Berlingo vans. Ellesmere Port will also produce a range of passenger vehicles across the Stellantis brands including the Vauxhall Combo-e Life, Opel Combo-e Life, Peugeot e-Rifter and Citroën ë-Berlingo MPVs.

These light commercial vehicles, and their passenger car variants, are all powered by a 100 kW (136 hp) motor with a 50 kWh lithium-ion battery.  They can be charged at up to 100 kW and take just 30 minutes to charge from 0% to 80%, capable of up to 174 miles of range under WLTP conditions.

Paul Willcox, Managing Director, Vauxhall & Senior Vice-President, Stellantis, said: “Over the last 60 years, Ellesmere Port has become one of the great British car plants, producing some of the most popular cars on the roads across generations. With one era closing, we’re now looking forward to an all-new electric era at Ellesmere, with the site becoming the first Stellantis plant to produce solely electric vehicles. Vauxhall is fast moving towards an electric future and I’m pleased to see the next-generation of Vauxhall electric vehicles made in Britain.” 

Vauxhall has committed to selling only electric vehicles from 2028, seven years ahead of the Government deadline, and the transformation at Ellesmere Port will ensure the UK remains at the forefront of electric vehicle manufacturing. The plant upgrade also forms a part of Stellantis’ commitment to become a carbon neutral group, globally, by 2038 – and to halve its carbon footprint by 2030, based on 2021 data. 

As Vauxhall looks ahead to the future electric vehicle production at Ellesmere Port, the plant is marking the end of production there for one of the brand’s most iconic models – Vauxhall Astra. Having first produced the Vauxhall Astra from 16th November 1981, then in its first generation, more than 4 million Astra models have been built at Ellesmere Port.

Production of the seventh generation Astra model came to a close on 6th April 2022.  The final Vauxhall Astra model to roll off the production line was an Astra Sport Tourer SRi Nav 1.2 Turbo Manual in Hot Red and the occasion was celebrated with a gathering of the plant workforce as well as former employees.  

6th April 2022: Last Vauxhall Astra rolls off production line

Work will now be undertaken to transform Ellesmere Port into an electric vehicle manufacturing centre when it restarts production in early 2023. 

Eighth generation All-New Astra, and Astra Sport Tourer, are now available to order and deliveries to UK customers are starting imminently.  Available now with plug-in hybrid technology, a fully electric version of both cars will also arrive next year as part of Vauxhall’s commitment to only sell fully electric vehicles from 2028. 

With over 90 years of history of manufacturing in the UK, Vauxhall is currently the only mainstream automotive brand to produce vans in Britain. Alongside Stellantis’ Ellesmere Port plant, Vauxhall continues to make vans at its factory in Luton, which has been operating since 1907 and stands as Britain’s oldest car factory.