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A surge of interest in the Vauxhall Zafira saw both new and used sales take off last month, making the model a star performer on Buyacar.co.uk, the online-only motor retail specialist.
The move signals a recovery for the reputation of a car beset by negative publicity after a previous generation was recalled following a number of fires.
Total sales of new Vauxhalls in Britain last month were down by a fifth on the previous year, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers, but the Buyacar data suggests that this may be a blip.
Buyacar.co.uk, the online marketplace for dealers to promote stock to customers, offers both the Zafira ‘B’ model at the centre of the recall and the more recent and unaffected Zafira Tourer. Analysts noted slowing interest in both models during the early part of the year, while the issue was under investigation and gaining publicity.
But sales took off again in May for both new and used Zafiras as Vauxhall’s efforts to end the problem paid off.
The most popular new car on the website was the Hyundai i40 while the top performing used car overall was the Audi A1, which saw a 300% increase on April.