New Astra wins German Golden Steering Wheel award

The new Opel/Vauxhall Astra has won a German Golden Steering Wheel award. “Das Goldene Lenkrad” is Germany's most prestigious car prize, and provides it provides a welcome boost for the Astra and Vauxhall's plant at Ellesmere plant where it is built at a time when the future of GM's European operations has once more been thrown into doubt.

The Astra won the class for compact cars. Other winners included the VW Polo (small cars), the Audi A5 Sportback (middle and upper-sized cars), Porsche Panamera (luxury cars) Mercedes SLS (super-cars) and the Renault Scenic (vans).

A recent addition to the 34 year-old system of awards is the Green Steering Wheel award for eco-oriented cars. This prize was won jointly this year by the Toyoa Prius and the VW Polo BlueMotion.