. ▁The ▁second - gener ation ▁V ect ra ▁was ▁launched ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 2 ▁and ▁was ▁further ▁improved ▁over ▁earlier ▁V ect ras , ▁but ▁was ▁still ▁hardly ▁a ▁class - le ader , ▁and ▁now ▁had ▁to ▁be ▁content ▁with ▁lower ▁sales ▁due ▁to ▁a ▁fall ▁in ▁popular ity ▁of ▁D - se ctor ▁cars , ▁although ▁a ▁fac el ift ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 5 ▁spark ed ▁a ▁rise ▁in ▁sales . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 3 , ▁V aux hall ▁Om ega ▁production ▁ended ▁after ▁nine ▁years , ▁with ▁no ▁direct ▁replacement , ▁while ▁the ▁Mer iva ▁mini - MP V ▁was ▁launched . ▁Perhaps ▁the ▁most ▁important ▁V aux hall ▁product ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 0 s ▁so ▁far ▁is ▁the ▁fifth - gener ation ▁A stra , ▁launched ▁in ▁early ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁and ▁pra ised ▁by ▁the ▁mot oring ▁press ▁for ▁its ▁dram atic ▁sty ling . ▁It ▁was ▁an ▁instant ▁hit ▁with ▁British ▁buy ers , ▁and ▁was ▁the ▁nation ' s ▁second - best ▁s elling ▁car ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 5 ▁and ▁ 2 0 0 6 , ▁giving ▁the ▁Ford ▁F ocus ▁its ▁strong est ▁compet itor ▁yet . ▁Many ▁police ▁forces ▁across ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom ▁adopted ▁the ▁A stra ▁as ▁the ▁standard ▁pat rol ▁vehicle ▁( p anda ▁car ). ▁Also ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁production ▁of ▁the ▁F ron tera ▁ended ▁after ▁ 1 3 ▁years