The award was decided by 58 leading automotive journalists from around Europe.
It was presented to Vauxhall/Opel CEO Dr Karl-Thomas Neumann by Car of the Year president Hakan Matson on the eve of the first press day of the Geneva International Motor Show. Opel sells its cars in Britain under the Vauxhall brand but as Opel in the rest of Europe.
Astra received a total of 309 points versus 294 for the Volvo XC90 and 202 for the Mazda MX-5.
“We’re delighted the Astra has been recognised for yet another award,” said Rory Harvey, Vauxhall’s chairman and managing director. “To be named European Car of the Year by judges throughout Europe is a testament to the hard work that has gone into the Astra. This is the new model’s first full year of sales, and it has already been well-received.”
This year is the 52nd European Car of the Year awards and the Astra’s win marks the fifth Car of the Year title for Opel/Vauxhall. The previous winners were the Astra Mk2, Omega A, Insignia and Ampera.
More than 40 new cars were among the list of contenders and the
Astra emerged as the winner from a field of seven Car of the Year finalists.
The new Astra is available with the new-generation IntelliLink infotainment system and OnStar, a comprehensive package, which includes a high-speed 4G LTE mobile network, emergency response notification and stolen vehicle recovery technology.
