New Delhi: General Motors India's Chevrolet Optra has emerged as the preferred choice in the increasingly competitive Entry "D" Luxury sedan segment with the car capturing one fourth of the market share in the last four months even as the global auto major registered over 123 per cent growth in sales of its cars in June 2004 as compared to the same month last year.

Between March and June 2004, the company sold a total of 3557 Chevy Optras making up 25% of the market share in Entry "D" Luxury sedan segment to overtake the competition comprising Toyota Corolla, Skoda Ocativia, Hyundai Elantra and Maruti Baleno.

In June 2004 alone, GM India sold 2418 cars as against 1082 cars in the same month last year registering a growth of 123.48%. These included 804 units of Chevrolet Optra, 800 units of the recently launched new-generation premium multi-utility vehicle (MUV) Chevrolet Tavera and 786 units of Opel Corsa. GM India sold over 15,000 cars in 2003 nearly twice as many as in 2002. It intends to repeat the performance in 2004 to double the sales again.

"The continuing growth in sales of GM in India is primarily due to the tremendous response to Chevrolet Optra and Opel Corsa models. As expected, our latest offering, the Chevrolet Tavera, has received an overwhelming response from buyers across India. So much so that to meet the growing demand for its third vehicle bearing the Chevrolet nameplate, GM India has started a third shift at its facility in Halol, Gujarat. We believe that the Chevrolet Tavera is just the right product for India," said GM India Vice President (Corporate Affairs), Mr. P. Balendran.

GM India is a wholly owned subsidiary of General Motors Corporation. Besides the Chevrolet Tavera and Optra, GM India manufactures the Opel Corsa, Corsa Sail and Swing at its facility in Halol, Gujarat. GM India also sells the imported Opel Vectra in addition to the Chevrolet Forester.