(Yicai Global) July 20 -- German luxury automotive brand Audi apologized for airing a sexist commercial in China in which a bride is examined as if she were a used car. The company has now removed the ad, the USA Today reported.

In a statement to the USA Today, the German automaker apologized, saying it "deeply regrets" the ad, saying it was created by the used car division of its joint venture in China.

"The ad's perception that has been created for many people does not correspond to the values of our company in any way," said Audi, which is part of the world's largest automaker, Volkswagen Group.

A user of Weibo, China's Twitter-like micro-blogging site, first noticed and exposed the sexist ad on July 16, which sparked a heated debate and condemnation in China. The ad not only indicates objectification of women, but also insults Chinese customers, said many Weibo users.

The USA Today quoted Audi as saying yesterday that the ad was only made for the Chinese market and that it has already removed it. However, Audi has not issued an official apology on its Chinese website yet.