[Otto]

Audi has just opened a new factory in Brazil. It will produce the A3, and following that, the Q3.

Many consider South America to be the last potential emerging market. Not surprisingly, Audi is building them where they sell them, and they even added a bit of a local flavor.

Yes, you guessed it, the engine fitted to the A3 can run on ethanol, which seems to be the only thing they want to use over there.

Apparently 90% of vehicles come with ethanol compatibility, which is really cool. Turns out there are more choices than gas, diesel and electric.

Looks like Audi still thinks it is going to be expanding in South America. Diesel crisis be damned.

http://www.autoevolution.com/news/audi-starts-a3-production-in-brazil-q3-to-follow-soon-100858.html#

 

[AudiFox]

Audi Q3 in Curitiba and will procure as many components as possible locally.

As long as the local components are of quality but if they aren't...

 

[rnlabas]

...just like in China - they WILL be - Audi is no dummy when it comes to this -

 

[Otto]

I expect that Audi will do a fine job with the manufacturing, but I also see that they aren't always being 100% honest with customers, so who knows. I'm sure at this point they will be crossing ts and dotting is so as to not fan the flames of dieslegate.

 

[Savannah]

In 2010 we purchased a Ford Fiesta because of al to great reviews they were getting and the model had been in production for a number of years in Europe, basically, we assumed the design and production were mature enough so early production problems would have been worked out. Well back in 2010 the Fiesta was being introduced in North America as a 2011 model year. The car had all kinds of problems for which most I would have to say were immature production, in this case, although the design was mature in Europe, the car was being produced in Mexico and the supply chain was all new so even though the design was mature all the parts or at least most of them were sourced from new suppliers.

This weighed heavily and was one of the factures that favoured our choosing the Q3, still built in Spain/Germany, which by the way is scheduled to come off the production line at the end of this month, we should get it at the end of November.

So, I would be leery of a car coming of a new production line or facility, basically lesson learned.

Bob

 

[AudiFox]

Didn't know immature production was an issue with new plants. At least the factory will practice on the A3 before the Q3.