Vauxhall has sold 16,548 cars last month – nearly 2,600 more than its closest rival – while the Astra was the UK’s best-selling car, with the Corsa close behind, selling 5377 and 4737 units respectively.

This rounded off a highly successful year for the Astra, with sales in excess of 80,000 for 2010. The popular range also took class honours in the retail sector, which it led with total sales of 1,511 units in December.

Vauxhall was also a winner with UK fleets in December. Corsa, Astra, Insignia and Zafira each headed their classes for company car sales, contributing to overall fleet sales of 11,796 units.

“This has been a great way to end 2010, and proves that we’re back on track with a strong sales performance in both fleet and retail sectors,” said Duncan Aldred, Vauxhall’s managing director. “Our newest models, like the Astra, Insignia and Meriva have raised the bar in their sectors while cars like the Corsa and Zafira are still proving immensely popular with our customers. I’m confident that 2011 will bring even more success for us.”