Hungary - The OEM has started making the second generation of its compact SUV at its plant in Győr, which is situated in the north west. The Q3 is now the fifth model being produced at the facility, sharing production lines with the A3 Sedan and Cabriolet, as well as the TT Coupe and Roadster.
"Nearly a third of all the Audi’s we deliver are SUVs," commented Achim Heinfling, managing director of Audi Hungaria. "The production of a Q model is a clear commitment to our site in Hungary; it strengthens our competitiveness and thus secures the long-term success of Audi Hungaria. I am proud of our employees, who have managed the start of production of the Audi Q3 with many years of expertise and great passion for the model."
The company built a new body shop which houses 700 robots to ready the plant for production of the new SUV. The Győr site now has a capacity of 160,000 units a year, which makes it one of the largest vehicle plants in the country.
Of late, Győr has been a hive of activity for Audi. It recently announced that it had invested a double digit million amount to set up an electric motor production facility at the same plant, where it also started making its new three-cylinder 1-litre petrol engine.
Several other carmakers are turning their heads to Hungary. BMW, for example, has promised to spend €1 billion ($1.7 billion) on the construction of a new assembly facility near the town of Debrecen, while Mercedes-Benz has broken ground on on a €1 billion "full-flex" plant at Kecskemét.
