Everybody expected Audi to be ashamed of its dirty little secret, that the all-new Q5 luxury SUV is built in Mexico. But the company seems as proud of its sprawling new facility as the vehicle.
They are literally not wasting any time with this one. Production of the Q5 started at the beginning of the week, and a test drive event is going on right now in Mexico.
Audi has many factories across Europe so that the work can be separated - engines in Hungary, bodies in Germany. However, this Mexico plant does pretty much everything, from metal stamping to final assembly.
US media is being told that the 2.0 TFSI quattro model is 200 lbs lighter than the outgoing model. That comes partly from the way it's built, but also due to extensive use of aluminum: trunk, hood, front frame and a few smaller pieces. For rigidity, the shell is hot-formed steel.
You can say anything you want, about Audi pinching pennies or cutting corners. But the fact is the US is the biggest market for SUVs outside of China, and this move gives them access to cheap workforce and reduces the effect of currency fluctuations.
The plant has an annual production capacity of approximately 150,000 premium SUVs. By the end of the year, a total of 4,200 jobs will be created locally at Audi México, in San José Chiapa to be more specific. Also, Audi has provided advance training at its sites in Germany to more than 750 Mexican employees.
“Our plant in Mexico is a prime example of the Audi Smart Factory. The facility is the first that we have put into operation completely virtually, that is, in a computer simulation,” stated Audi’s Board of Management Member for Production Waltl. "We have optimized the entire process chain and put the plant into operation 30 percent faster than is usual.”
Over 70% of the parts come from the NAFTA region and it's only about to grow. From Mexico, the new Q5 will begin shipping to 50 countries including, ironically, Germany. It will also still produced at locations in China and India for those local markets.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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