Audi putting RS muscle in China import lineup

The 2014 RS 5 Cabriolet combines track-tested engineering with the freedom of open air driving. [Provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

German premium carmaker Audi AG vows to bring an array of its RS models to market in China to gain the initiative in the burgeoning high-performance segment.

The brand's sales division at Sino-German joint venture FAW Volkswagen announced recently that Audi plans to bring at least two RS models into China annually over the next three years.

The RS 5 Coupe, the first model in the plan, was launched in China during the Chengdu auto show at the end of August.

Next year Audi will introduce the RS 5 Cabriolet that made its global premiere at the Paris motor show in September, the automaker said.

The brand has selected 40 out of 261 authorized Audi dealerships in China for the RS models in 31 cities.

The models will be sold at more dealerships as Audi's dealership network in China grows to 500 by 2015, according to the announcement.

Audi now has 11 R and RS high-performance models in the compact, mid-sized, large-sized and limousine segments, including nine RS models.

Audi and the joint venture FAW Volkswagen will also develop high-performance models tailor-made for the Chinese market, the company said.

Audi now has a 10 percent stake in the joint venture based in northeastern city of Changchun. The rest is held by its parent Volkswagen and Chinese auto group FAW.