Hit by the recession in the luxury car segment, the company closed 1998 with sales of 3,500 Astra, lower than the target of 4,500 units. Company officials, however, said it increased its market share in the mid-size segment.

The company is also increasing the number of its authorised service centres to 40 by 1999-end from the existing 30. It has no plans, however, to expand the dealership network from 28 at present.

The company's plan to launch Opel Corsa by year-end are on schedule, vice president (marketing) Rajeev Chaba said.

Chaba said though Corsa was considered a small car in the GM family, it would be introduced in the country in a notchback version as the auto major's second vehicle after the luxury sedan Opel Astra.

To commemorate 100 years of GM's operations world-wide on January 21, the companylaunched the sixth variant of the Opel Astra--the Astra Club here on Wednesday.

The new Astra variant costs Rs 8.75 lakh (ex-showroom in Delhi)--Rs 1 lakh more than the available models and would be rolled out in about two weeks. The Astra Club offers top-end features including an electric sun-roof, special two-tone paints leather seats, special Club alloy wheels, a Blaupunkt CD changer with six speaker system, chrome exhaust tip, special badging, wider tyres and a specially designed Club sun-screen.

Besides, another new model--Opel 100 collection--would be rolled out in the second or third quarter of the year. "We are working on two options -- safety and sports. We are trying the sports model. These are part of the celebrations which the parent company and its subsidiaries across the globe have planned for 100 years of Adam Opel AG," Chaba said.

Only the petrol version of the Astra Club would be available and it will have an indigenisation level of 50 per cent like all other Astra models in the petrolversion and wpule be fitted with imported engines, he said.

The company also unveiled a new logo that depicts the completion of a century in the business and links the past with the future.

The company has also planned special promotions on the Internet, release of CD-ROM on Opel 100 themes, Opel customer care programmes, besides the launch of the two new variants of Astra during the centenary celebrations.