German car maker Volkswagen AG (VOWG_p.DE) will recall 80,000 cars from its luxury division Audi due to issues with the fuel injection system, Audi said on Saturday, adding that around 35,000 of the affected vehicles are from China.

The cars were made between April 2011 and April 2012, and "in rare cases customers may notice a smell of fuel in affected vehicles," Audi said in an e-mailed statement.

China is Audi's biggest market. But on Tuesday official data showed the world's second-largest economy grew at its slowest pace in 24 years in 2014, even as luxury sales have been hamstrung by a crackdown on official corruption and lavish spending.

China's official Xinhua news agency, citing the country's quality watchdog, reported that Volkswagen's local joint venture, China FAW-Volkswagen Automotive Co Ltd, will begin the recall on March 20, affecting various Audi A4, A5, A6, A7 and Q7 models.