BEIJING, March 16 (Xinhuanet) -- FAW-Volkswagen Automobile Co. Ltd, China's top vehicle producer, will launch a new Audi A6 to challenge BMW's hold on China's high-end car market, the Beijing Morning Post reported.

    The new A6 will go on sale in the middle of this year with a 4.2-liter V-8 engine and the choice of front- or all-wheel drive. Itwill have six gears of manual and automatic transmissions, the newspaper said.

    The premium-class auto will become China's most luxurious sedan,competing against high-volume sedans such BMW's 5-series, Li Wu, general manager of FAW-Volkswagen's sales company, was quoted as saying.

    The new A6, like the present A6 and A4, are made at FAW-Volkswagen, German Volkswagen's joint venture with China's First Automotive Works Corp (FAW), in northeast China.

    Before announcing the plan to produce new Audi A6, the FAW-Volkswagen cut the prices of Audi A6 and A4 by up to 43,000 yuan (5,180 US dollars) from late last week, after BMW reduced the prices of its 5-series by 80,000 (9,638 dollars) to 100,000 yuan (12,048 dollars) in January to seize the high-end market.

    Audi, part of the Volkswagen group, sold 64,018 cars in China in 2004, with 46,177 units being Audi A6 and A4. Enditem