General Motors announced the expansion of its Chevrolet lineup in China with the introduction of two new products, New Chevrolet Sail and Epica, by its flagship joint venture, Shanghai General Motors (Shanghai GM).

'Our two new products will greatly enhance the number of choices for private and family vehicle buyers in the small to medium car segments,' Joseph Liu, executive director of Vehicle Sales, Service and Marketing for the General Motors China Group, said.

'They also will make the Chevrolet brand more competitive while solidifying GM's overall market presence.'

Both products will be built at Shanghai's GM Dong Yue Motors Co Ltd in Shandong province. They will be distributed through GM's growing network of Chevrolet sales and service centers in China, the company said.

GM said 100 new facilities are opening across China in February and March. The Chevrolet dealership network is expected to grow to 150 facilities by the end of 2005.

The five trim levels of Chevrolet Sail are priced between 68,800 and 98,800 yuan. Presale of the Chevrolet Epica are set to begin in early April, with deliveries scheduled for May. Pricing for the Epica will be released closer to the start of sales.

Growth in the small to medium segments has quadrupled over the last three years. The segments today account for about 70 pct of passenger car sales in China, as private and family car buyers have begun outnumbering institutional buyers, the company said.