Audi to open assembly plant in China in 2009

Germanys Audi AG said it would open a plant in Changchun, northeastern China, in the second half of next year to assemble A4 sedans and Q5 sport-utility vehicles. The 81,610-square-meter facility will require an investment of 1 billion yuan (US$144.88 million). The plant will eventually have a production capacity of 500 units a day and will build other models in the future. In the first five months of this year, 49,696 Audis were sold in China, up 23.4% from a year earlier. The German automaker plans to have more than 210 authorized dealers in China by 2012, it said. It currently has 125 Audi dealerships and nine service centers in 86 Chinese cities. Volkswagen AG’s premium Audi brand is made in China through FAW-Volkswagen Automobile Co., a joint venture with China FAW Group Corp. (June 12, 2008)