A Lincoln car is put on display at the ‘Auto China 2014’ exhibition in Beijing in April. Photo: AFP/File

US automaker Ford has launched its first vehicles under the luxury Lincoln brand in China, the company said, as it seeks to make inroads into a market dominated by German cars.

Ford announced in April that it would begin Lincoln sales in China in the autumn, adding to its other passenger car and commercial vehicle offerings in the country -- the world's largest auto market.

Lincoln on Thursday launched a mid-sized sedan, the MKZ, priced from 315,800 yuan to 395,800 yuan ($51,770 to $64,885), according to a news release.

It also started offering the MKC, a small utility vehicle, for 339,800 yuan to 438,800 yuan, the release said.

Both were designed for the Chinese market, it added.

Management consulting firm McKinsey has estimated that German automakers -- including Audi, BMW, Mercedes and Volkswagen -- account for 80 percent of the "premium" market in China, which it defines as cars costing upwards of 200,000 yuan.