CHANGCHUN - The Sino-German auto joint venture FAW-Volkswagen Automotive plans to roll out 16 new Audi models in China this year as sales of Audi vehicles in China hit a new high in 2017, the company announced Friday.

A record 595,288 Audi vehicles were sold in China last year, up 1.1 percent year-on-year. Among them, 545,000 were domestically made, while 50,288 were imported.

Seeing the huge potential of the luxury car market in China, Audi plans to launch 16 new models, including the AI-embedded A8L and the new generation Q5L, in China this year. Its upcoming full size-SUV, the Q8, will make its world debut in China this year.

Jing Qingchun, executive vice-general manager of the company's Audi sales division, said Audi would consider the needs of Chinese customers in its research and development.