Photo: Volkswagen
Volkswagen Group, Europe's largest automaker, has announced plans to invest €4.2 billion ($4.6B) into their operations in Spain from now until 2019.
This is claimed to be the biggest industrial investment ever made in Spain, but details are surprisingly scarce. All we know for sure is that the beneficiaries will be both Volkswagen Group's facilities and those of Spanish automaker SEAT.
In a press statement, Volkswagen AG Board of Management member Dr. Francisco Javier García Sanz said: “Spain is a key country within the Volkswagen Group’s strategy, this project is a guarantee for the future of the Group facilities in Spain, which are preparing themselves for the assignment of new models."
We have several reasons to believe the money is linked to the barrage of new SUVs that are expected to come out in the next few years. They will target the A0 (subcompact), A (compact) and 7-seat crossover segments.
Martorell, SEAT's home factory, not only makes the Leon family, but also the current generation of the Audi Q3. MQB-derived engines are also assembled there, which means pretty much any MQB-based crossover can be assembled there, including the upcoming Q1, which we saw for the first time today.
There's also a rumor saying Audi wants to shift A1 production from the Vorst factory in Belgium to Spain. Its German sister car, the Polo 6R is already assembled there at the Navarra facility, so they could save money on the engines, transmissions or suspension being jointly assembled.
By 2019, when this major investment finishes, all the subcompact crossover models from the VW Group should be launched. Considering Skoda factories are already near full capacity, even their "Polar" baby model could be Spanish-built, as could a coupe version of the Q3 (rumored to be called TTQ). And let's not forget the 20v20 concept which SEAT unveiled in Geneva two months ago, which is likely a preview for the first SUV in the company's history.
In a press statement, Volkswagen AG Board of Management member Dr. Francisco Javier García Sanz said: “Spain is a key country within the Volkswagen Group’s strategy, this project is a guarantee for the future of the Group facilities in Spain, which are preparing themselves for the assignment of new models."
We have several reasons to believe the money is linked to the barrage of new SUVs that are expected to come out in the next few years. They will target the A0 (subcompact), A (compact) and 7-seat crossover segments.
Martorell, SEAT's home factory, not only makes the Leon family, but also the current generation of the Audi Q3. MQB-derived engines are also assembled there, which means pretty much any MQB-based crossover can be assembled there, including the upcoming Q1, which we saw for the first time today.
There's also a rumor saying Audi wants to shift A1 production from the Vorst factory in Belgium to Spain. Its German sister car, the Polo 6R is already assembled there at the Navarra facility, so they could save money on the engines, transmissions or suspension being jointly assembled.
By 2019, when this major investment finishes, all the subcompact crossover models from the VW Group should be launched. Considering Skoda factories are already near full capacity, even their "Polar" baby model could be Spanish-built, as could a coupe version of the Q3 (rumored to be called TTQ). And let's not forget the 20v20 concept which SEAT unveiled in Geneva two months ago, which is likely a preview for the first SUV in the company's history.
Google News