Audi has just announced that its new assembly plant in Mexico will be built in the city of San Jose Chiapa. The selection comes months after the automaker selected the country for its newest North American facility, aimed at helping Audi achieve its “Strategy 2020” plan.
Construction of the new plant will being in mid-2013 and vehicles should start rolling off the assembly line by 2016. Initial capacity has been set at 150,000 units per year. The first vehicle slated for production is the next-generation Audi Q5 compact crossover, which was just updated for model year 2013 with a refreshed front fascia and a number of new powertrains including a hybrid and a diesel. Audi selected the city for its centralized location, infrastructure, and favorable prospects for future employees.
More importantly, the new plant will help shield Audi from currency fluctuations in Europe, while increasing inventory of key models including the Q5. It’s just one of many stepping stones to Audi’s “Strategy 2020” goal of becoming the world’s top-selling luxury car brand by 2020. In order to grab the title, it will need to overtake its German rivals including Mercedes-Benz, which has set a goal of selling 2.7 million annual sales by the same time period. Though Audi Q5 sales were down 12.8 percent in August, through the first eight months of 2012, 17,465 units have been sold, a 15.0-percent increase over the same period last year.
Source: Audi
Source : wot[dot]motortrend[dot]com
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