U.S. carmaker General Motors launched the Chevrolet Cruze luxury sedan in India at an introductory price of Rs 10.99 lakh to RS 12.45 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi).

"The Cruze has received rave reviews for his latest release in a number of other markets. We expect a good performance against the established D-segment player," General Motors India, President and CEO Karl Slym said in New Delhi.

The company launched the car with a 2.0 liter diesel engine in two different variants. Confirms that the car would give a mileage of 18.3 miles per gallon, according to Automotive Research Association of India (Arai) rules.

The Cruz is currently deployed in many countries around the world.

"GM's investment in the production of Cruze in India is a demonstration of our ongoing commitment to make Chevrolet the most admired and preferred vehicle brand in this country," added Slym.

The company had previously said that the Cruze diesel version was followed by development of the variant of 1.8 liters of gasoline in the coming months.

GM had also said that Spain would go ahead with the launch of their long awaited mini car, named and developed the 'Beat' platform later this year. The car is expected to be priced around RS 4 lakh.

In addition, GM India is also preparing to submit its small car Spark with a 800cc petrol engine in 2010.

The new Chevrolet Cruze also features Passive Entry Passive Start System, which offers complete keyless operations such as keyless entry, ignition starter without keys, anti-theft alarm and central locking system.

One of the striking features of the new Chevrolet Cruze is that the car can be started even with a push button while the keys are still in the pocket. The car detects the keys as soon as the driver comes near the car and it opens the locks automatically.