The General Motors takeover announcement comes shortly after Vauxhall scooped a total of six top honours at the Business Car Manager Awards held in London.

Beating off stiff competition, the Ellesmere Port built Astra was the big winner at the ceremony picking up the headline award of Company Car of the Year 2017 while the Astra 1.6-litre CDTi Design (110PS) Start/Stop ecoFLEX variant was named as the Best Value Company Car, both for small and medium sized firms (SMEs).

Vauxhall was also recognised in the Best SME Company Car Programme category again taking away the top prize.

The success didn’t stop there for Vauxhall as its van range won a hat-trick of accolades in the Business Van of the Year 2017 awards.

“The independent judges placed the Astra ahead of highly competitive opposition but it’s not hard to see why,” said Ralph Morton, editorial director at Business Car Manager.

““From the fantastically low operating costs to really competitive benefit-in-kind company car taxation, the Astra has it all and that’s before we get to the brilliantly competitive specification.

“Each year Vauxhall has been refining its company car programme for small and medium sized enterprises and each year it has got better and better to the point that is has knocked BMW/MINI off its perch as the best in the business.”

Consisting of a group of independent experts in the SME field, the judges used aspects such as company car tax and other costs to judge and rank each entry.

“We’re delighted Vauxhall has been recognised by Business Car Manager and Business Vans,” said James Taylor, Vauxhall’s Fleet Sales Director.

“The company car market is an important sector for the Astra. It’s great to see how well-received it has been so far and we are also pleased to be recognised for our company car programme.”