Beat diesel, now in AP

Chevrolet Beat, a small car from General Motors specifically designed for the Indian market, is now available in a diesel version, in addition to petrol and LPG.

Launching the model here on Tuesday, GM India vice president P Balendran said wherever petrol and diesel versions were both available, the share of diesel vehicles had gone up to 70 per cent. Otherwise, in the overall market, 60 percent vehicles were petrol versions and the rest diesel, he said.

The diesel model of Beat is available in three variants. Their invitation prices, valid for two months, are Rs 4.37 lakh for the entry-level Beat PS, Rs 4.68 lakh for LS and Rs 5.08 lakh for LT. Since its launch in January last year, 45,000 units of Beat were sold, according to Balendran.

Though the market is sluggish and industry is expected to have a tough time, he said GM would grow 20-25 per cent this year, compared to 30 percent growth last year.

GM plans to launch at least five new models in the next two years, including a utility vehicle, a sedan and a hatchback.

The carmaker is expanding capacity at its Halol manufacturing plant in Gujarat from 85,000 units to 110,000 units. It also plans to ramp up capacity at its Talegaon facility taking the current level of 140,000 engines and 160,000 cars to 300,000 in each.