BUYERS made the Astra Britain's best selling car in February - despite the launch of some very high-profile rivals, including the Ford Focus.

Official figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show that 4,703 Astras found new homes last month, giving it six per cent of the total market.

Strong sales of the Astra added to Vauxhall's other February successes, giving it the overall number one manufacturer spot with 11,817 car sales.

Corsa continued to dominate the supermini sector and came in at number three in the charts, while the Zafira was the only MPV to appear in the top ten - despite a new model being just around the corner.

The Astra's impressive performance is expected to become even stronger over the next few months, when the stylish Sport Hatch models finally reach eager buyers.

Vauxhall is also working hard to secure extra production of the sportier SRi and SXi models, which have been in especially high demand.

Almost a fifth of all Astras registered last month were these sporty variants, which bodes well for the launch of the storming 240bhp VXR, due to go on sale in September.

Bill Parfitt, Vauxhall's executive director for UK & Ireland, said: "It's particularly gratifying to 'do the double' with both the car and manufacturer top sales spots in a month when our main rivals are launching new products.

"It proves that customers really appreciate the stylish looks and driving dynamics which the Astra - and all Vauxhalls - provide.

"The arrival of the Sport Hatch, plus extra-value models such as the Breeze special editions, mean that we intend to push the pedal further over the next few months."

UK CAR SALES - FEBRUARY 2005 (Source: SMMT)

1 Vauxhall Astra - 4,703

2 Ford Focus* - 4,620

3 Vauxhall Corsa- 2,756

4 VW Golf - 2,688

5 Ford Mondeo - 2,256

6 Vauxhall Vectra - 2,076

7 Ford Fiesta - 2,004

8 Peugeot 206 - 1,690

9 Vauxhall Zafira - 1,541

10 VW Polo - 1,538

*Does not include the C-Max MPV variant.