General Motors India on Wednesday launched a special edition of premium mid-size car Chevrolet Optra to strengthen its position in the entry-level luxury segment.

The Chevrolet Optra 1.8 Max has been priced at Rs 769,000 (ex-showroom, Delhi), GMI vice-president P Balendran said in a statement.

The four-door, 1.8 litre special edition has been introduced to establish the car as a preferred choice in the competitive entry-level luxury sedan category, he said.

GMI claimed Chevrolet Optra has a 30 per cent market share in the segment.

The car is fitted with a 16-valve Double Overhead Camshaft engine.

Top end variants of Chevrolet Optra are also available with an advanced electronic four-speed automatic transmission.

GMI, the wholly-owned subsidiary of the world's biggest carmaker General Motors Corp, manufactures Opel Astra, Corsa Sail, and Corsa Swing at its Halol (Gujarat) plant.

The company imports and sells luxury sedan Vectra and sports utility vehicle Forester.

GMI reported a 74 per cent sales growth at 1,401 units in April 2004 over 805 units in the same month last year. In 2003, the company sold a total of 15,000 units and aims to double the sales in 2004.