General Motors India, recently in the news for its plans to build a $ 300 million second manufacturing facility near Pune, has launched the Chevrolet Optra CNG.

The vehicle, newest member of the Optra family, goes on sale in selected cities, follows the previous launches of the Chevy Aveo, the Tavera Neo and the Chevy SRV

President & Managing Director, GMI, Rajeev Chaba said, 'We are committed to addressing the needs of consumers nation-wide through our growing line-up of Chevrolet vehicles. The CNG initiative is a clear manifestation of our resolve in this direction.'

'With its combination of modern Italian design, generous list of standard features and roomy interior, the Optra CNG provides outstanding value for money in its segment, he added." The BS-3 compliant Optra CNG is among the first mid -size sedan being offered as a bi-fuel vehicle. Hindustan Motors recently launched an LPG version of the Lancer while Ford is also planning a green fuel variant of the Ikon.

Lambda sensor

The Optra CNG comes with a standard petrol tank as well to accommodate regular gasoline. A timing advance processor and Lambda sensor have been provided to ensure maximum engine efficiency in both fuel modes.

Under normal driving conditions, the Optra CNG has a range of 140 to 150 km on a full tank of CNG, according to a company press release. The running cost of the Optra CNG is approximately 70 percent lower than a similar vehicle powered by petrol, it said. Because of the lower operating economics and growing number of CNG stations being built across India, this new offering is expected to appeal to both individual and fleet customers.

GM India engineers have done extensive testing and validation of the Optra CNG. To ensure maximum safety, the Optra CNG features a solenoid valve that shuts off automatically in case of a collision, even if the ignition switch is on. The CNG kit offered on Optra is the latest 3rd generation kit from Italy. It is compact and has been designed conforming to world class safety standards," said Chaba.

GM India is also offering a two-year/40,000-kilometre standard warranty and 24-hour after-sales support through the GM India Service Helpline. 'Consequently, customers do not have to worry about warranty-related issues,' said Chaba.

To start with, the Optra CNG will be available in those cities where CNG is available, including Delhi, Mumbai and Gujarat, through several GM India dealerships. A CNG kit approved by GM India will be fitted on the Optra 1.6 at the dealerships. Reinforced coil springs are provided as part of the conversion kit. All current Optra 1.6 owners also can have a CNG kit installed on their vehicles and retain their warranty coverage, a company press release has said.

Meanwhile, the company is also expanding its dealership network this year from the present 85 sales points to 110 sales points. Two new parts distribution centres have also been set up this year in Maharashtra and Delhi to supplement existing centres in Gujarat and Tamil Nadu. GM also continues the extensive localisation of its products to reduce the price of key components aimed at reducing the ownership cost.