Audi looking at North American assembly

Reports from Automotive News indicated Audi AG has decided to build a vehicle assembly plant in North America and is considering an additional engine and transmission plant.

Details on models, location and capacity have yet to be released, but Audi CEO Rupert Stadler told the magazine that a lot more would be reveal in the coming years.

“It is totally clear that we need new production capacity in the U.S.,” Stadler told Automotive News. “The question only is when.”

This is a logical step for the Volkswagen premium brand as inventory in North America has been an issue for dealers over the last two years.

During an interview with Canadian AutoWorld last June, Audi Canada president and CEO Martin Sander said the automaker expected to sell 20,000 units in Canada in the next few years.

This push mirrors the mandate of the entire Audi operation, which is looking to double global sales by 2020. According to Automotive News, Audi sold 1.1 million new cars last year.

Audi passenger cars and SUV sales in Canada were up 9.7 and 46.6 per cent respectively in June.

- With files from The Automotive News