VAUXHALL claims the new Astra estate will be cheaper to run than its main rivals when it arrives in the UK in November, according to a key market analyst.

Using figures from Emmox Carcost, the Astra estate Club 1.7CDTi 100 engine costs 26.10ppm to run over three years/60,000 miles compared to 26.30ppm for the Peugeot 307 S HDi and 27.25ppm for the Ford Focus 1.8 LX TDCi.

For a fleet of 100 cars, that means the Astra saves £69,000 over three years when compared to the Ford Focus and £12,000 compared to the Peugeot 307.

It is a similar story for the petrol-engined cars, with the Astra 1.6 16v estate Club costing 26.53 pence per mile over three years/60,000 miles, compared to 26.89ppm for the equivalent Ford Focus 1.6 LX, 26.72ppm for the Toyota Corolla T3 and 27.28ppm for the Peugeot 307 Estate S.

That gives the Astra a cost advantage for a fleet of 100 cars of £21,600 over three years/ 60,000 miles compared to the Ford Focus and £43,200 when compared to the Peugeot 307.

Mark Jowsey, general manager of Carcost, said the figures reflected the ‘newness’ of the Astra estate in the market.