General Motors India today signalled a price war in the sedan market by positioning Chevrolet Optra, its new D-segment offering, at C-segment prices.
Around a month ago, the company had taken small- and compact-car manufacturers in the country by surprise by launching its hatchback, Corsa Sail, at extremely competitive prices.
The Optra, built on a new platform, developed by GM Daewoo Auto and Technology, has been priced in the range of Rs 7.89-9.69 lakh.
The vehicle has been competitively priced against top-end C-segment cars, such as Mitsubishi Lancer, Honda City, Hyundai Accent, and its own Opel Astra, and also against D-1 segment cars, such as the Skoda Octavia and Toyota Corolla.
General Motors also announced that the car will come with a unique two-year or 20,000 km of service warranty, which will cover all service expenses, including consumables and labour.
Aditya Vij, president and managing director of General Motors India, said the company had drawn up aggressive plans to push up its domestic sales to 50,000 units in the next five years compared with 2002 sales.
The base model of the 1800 cc Optra has been priced at Rs 7.89 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi), while the premium and luxury models have been priced Rs 8.49 lakh and Rs 9.69 lakh, respectively.
