Reports suggest that Audi is teaming up with China’s SAIC Motor Corp to increase its local production capacity in a bid to meet the demand in the Chinese market.
At the moment, Audi’s ties with the FAW Group Corp in China allows them to roll out their cars from two plants, one at Foshan near Guangzhou and the other that’s situated in Changchun. Audi’s A3 is made at the Foshan plant while the Changchun plant is believed to produce the long-wheel-base versions of the A4 and A6, in addition to the Q3 and Q5 SUVs.
It looks obvious here that Audi was swayed into the deal as both SAIC and FAW are Volkswagen’s joint venture partners. Sources confirm that executives at Audi and SAIC have signed the “cooperation framework agreement” on Friday, and Audi is expected to make a formal statement tomorrow.
Both Audi and SAIC haven’t revealed any details, but this move should allow Audi to expand its production capacity significantly. At a time when the Chinese auto market is booming, Audi and its parent Volkswagen seem to be in a strong position to capitalise on the opportunity.
