Audi to Expand Mexico Plant to Produce Q5’s Successor

Audi México is getting ready to produce a new vehicle during 2022. After Audi AG confirmed the assemblage of a new model in Mexico, it stopped Audi Q5 production at its San Jose Chiapa plant during the last weeks of 2021 to start preparing the facilities.

"I want to warmly thank all our collaborators for their great performance during 2021, a very challenging year. I admire all the efforts made to achieve such important results. We will continue to produce with such passion and perfection, and prepare ourselves properly to produce, with that well-known Mexican quality, the new Audi Q5 in the near future, always respecting the environment and following a suitable work environment for the entire Audi family in San Jose Chiapa," said Tarek Mashhour, Executive President, Audi México.

Audi México has produced over 700,000 vehicles since 2016, exporting the Audi Q5 to the entire world except China, reported MBN. In 2021, the San Jose Chiapa plant produced the Q5 Sportback 2022, a vehicle “aimed at customers who not only appreciate expressive design and technological innovation but also sporty character and versatility for everyday use.” In 2021, the German automaker produced 137,634 Audi Q5 at San Jose Chiapa facilities, an 11-percent increase from its 2020 figures, said Audi México.

Audi’s Mexican plant is the most modern facility of the German automaker in America, and enabled the creation of 5,200 direct jobs and over 20,000 indirect jobs across the value chain, according to the company. Volkswagen and Audi have also jointly worked to achieve more efficient logistics. Production at both plants is shipped simultaneously to the port of Lazaro Cardenas, Michoacan.

While the new Q5 model is yet to be announced, prices for the Q5 Sportback 2022 in Mexico start at MX$1.1 million (US$55,500) for the Select version and rise up to MX$1.45 million (US$72,500) for the SQ5 version.

Audi Is Increasing Investments in Electromobility

As other legacy automakers, Audi is investing aggressively in electrification. From 2033 on, the entire Audi brand will be fully electric. During 2021, the German automaker doubled its product portfolio of EVs, with the world premiere of the Audi e-tron GT1 at the start of the year and the Audi Q4 e-tron in spring. “Audi is accelerating the transition toward becoming a provider of networked and sustainable premium mobility. In particular, advance payments for future vehicle projects are being increased once again, with a sum total of about €37 billion (US$42 billion),” said Audi AG.