German carmaker Audi on Wednesday marked the start of production at a €900 million plant at its base in Győr. Audi will make about 125,000 A3 Sedan models a year at the plant. The car will be the first Audi manufactured entirely in Hungary. Until now, local unit Audi Hungaria Motor has made engines and assembled sports cars. “Audi is at home in Hungary,” Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said in a speech at the ceremony, acknowledging the alliance between the country and the carmaker. Audi CEO Rupert Stadler said the plant in Győr was “one of the engines of Audi’s growth”. Audi Hungária Motor managing director Thomas Faustmann said the unit had made 2,100 new hires in the past months, raising headcount at the base to almost 9,200. Including people who work for Audi Hungária Motor’s suppliers, the plant provides a livelihood for some 15,000 people. Audi has invested €5.7 billion at the base in Győr since it was established 20 years ago. Last year, Audi Hungária Motor made 1.9 million engines and assembled about 33,500 cars.



