A 58-strong jury of automotive journalists from 22 European countries awarded the Astra a total of 309 points versus 294 for the Volvo XC90 and 202 for the Mazda MX-5.

More than 40 new cars, from sporty roadsters to premium limousines and sports utility vehicles, were among the original contenders.

Accepting the award, Opel CEO Dr Karl-Thomas Neumann said: “The new Astra represents the start of a new era at Opel and victory in this year’s ‘Car of the Year’ competition shows that we are on the right track.

“It is an honour for us to receive such a prestigious award from leading automotive journalists.”

In total, five Opel models have been taken the European Car of the Year title since the awards were founded in 1964. The Opel Kadett E was the first car from Rüsselsheim to win the award in 1985. Two years later, the Omega A once again took the pan-European accolade. In recent years, Opel has come out on top twice – with the Insignia in 2009 and the Ampera in 2012.