The first China-developed turbo-charged car, produced by Brilliance Auto Group, made its debut Sunday, China Securities News reported Monday.

Turbocharger can increase engine power by 30 percent or more at a given emission compared with normal engines, which gives it advantages of being small, energy-saving and environment-friendly.

The group introduced the engine last June and announced it would use it in its new model Galena.

The 1.8T models are priced ranging from 125,800 yuan to 199,800 yuan while imported cars with this type of engines usually cost over 180,000 yuan.

The group plans to produce 50,000 such engines in 2008 and 100,000 in 2010, it said.

Brilliance Auto, based in Shenyang, capital of Liaoning Province in northeast China,sold some 210,000 cars in 2006, ranking the 9th by sales volume among auto manufacturers in China.

(Xinhua News Agency March 20, 2007)