VAUXHALL has launched an assault on the lower medium sector with a major support package to boost fleet and retail sales of the Astra. Dealers are being offered £2,000 per car to register up to five Astras during the last week of June as long as they hold on to them until December before selling. In the fleet sector, Vauxhall is offering to support the Astra to the tune of £5,000 by guaranteeing a residual value of 45% of cost new.

Fleet director Mike Bonner said the five car offer was intended to enable dealers to provide additional courtesy vehicles or cars for employees, which instead of selling on nearly new after six months they would hold on to. He said the 'True Value' residual guarantee scheme was an imaginative form of support for leasing sales. Vauxhall came up with the scheme after consultations with the price guides and several leading contract hire companies, which they concluded were underwriting Astra resale values to the cost of their customers. The True Value scheme will initially run until August 31.