The DS5 and DS4 will hit the Chinese market in the first half of 2012 while the DS3 will be launched in the second half of the year, reported Shenzhen Special Zone Daily, a newspaper in the south China city of Shenzhen.

Of the three vehicles, only the DS5 will be produced later in Changan PSA's plant in Shenzhen. PSA does not have plans to build the other two models in China in the near future.

To sell the vehicles, Changan PSA plans to build a distribution network consisting of 16 dealerships in ten major Chinese cities that include Shanghai, Beijing and Shenzhen, according to the daily newspaper.

Changan PSA is a 50-50 joint venture between China Changan Automobile Group and PSA Peugeot Citroen. The partnership, which was established in 2010, will have initial annual production capacity of 200,000 vehicles and 200,000 engines. The Shenzhen-based venture is expected to launch production in the second half of 2012.

Changan PSA is the French automaker's second joint venture in China. Its other partnership, Dongfeng Peugeot Citroen Automobile Co., sold 252,742 Citroens and Peugeots in the first eight months of 2011, up 12 percent year-on-year.

Dongfeng Peugeot Citroen is headquartered in the central China city of Wuhan. It produces the Peugeot 307, 207, 408 and 508 cars as well as the Citroen C4 Quatre, Elysee, C5, C2 and C-Triomphe.