Audi picks its plant in Hungary for new A3 vehicle

“The Győr site has excelled in the production of premium vehicles during recent years ... therefore it is optimally suited for the assembly of a new model alongside the Audi TT Coupe and the TT Roadster,” Audi AG said in a statement. Audi, one of Hungary's largest exporters, launched vehicle assembly at its Győr plant in 1998 with the first generation of the TT sports car. This year it plans to manufacture over 50,000 TT units, up from 23,675 last year, it said.

“The market launch of the A3 Cabriolet is scheduled for next year, just in time for the start of the convertible season,” Audi AG Chairman Rupert Stadler told a news conference jointly held with Hungarian Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány. He declined to elaborate on planned output figures, but said production of the new car in Hungary was a further step towards reaching Audi's target of making 1.5 million cars a year on the group level by 2015. Gyurcsány, said that the government was still in talks over the exact investment support it would provide to Audi. “As soon as we sign the investment support contract, we will reveal the details, since this is about taxpayers' money,” he said.

Audi first began manufacturing vehicles in Hungary in 1988 with the TT sports car. This year it foresees manufacturing 50,000 TT units, more than double the previous year. The Hungarian plant also manufactured almost 2 million engines in 2006. (reuters.com, monstersandcritics.com)