VW China venture plans new Audi assembly line

Audi Q5

Shanghai, China -- Volkswagen's car venture in northeast China plans to add a new Audi assembly line capable of producing as many as 140,000 units per year, a company spokeswoman said today.

The assembly line, with a total investment of 1 billion yuan ($145 million), is scheduled to start operation in the second half of next year making Audi A4 and Q5 models, the spokeswoman said.

Current Audi capacity at the venture with China's FAW Group is 100,000 units, she said.

The plant builds Audi's A4 and A6 models, as well as VW's Bora, Caddy, Magotan, Jetta and Sagitar.

Last year, China overtook the United Kingdom as Audi's biggest market outside Germany. Audi's Chinese sales grew 24.8 percent to 101,996 units.

[Source : Reuter via Automotive News Europe // June 12,2008(Subscription required)]