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Audi Made By Belgium
Brussels, Belgium - Audi has begun production its five-door, hatchback, A3 Sportback in the former VW plant in Brussels.
The Ingolstadt-based VW unit said in a statement: "The new plant is one of Audi's requirements for achieving its strategic goal of building 1.5-million cars a year by 2015."
Beyond the A3 Sportback, the Brussels plant is scheduled to begin production of the smallest member of the Audi model range, the upcoming A1, at the end of 2009.
Audi said the plant's total output of the A3 and other models was expected to be about 84 000 units in 2007.
It added: "The production 'turntable' between Ingolstadt and Brussels will open up the possibility for further increasing flexibility between the two plants."
Audi also plans to use its smaller Neckarsulm plant to help shift production volumes of the next generation of its A4 mid-size car between plants, allowing the smaller German plant to pick up some of the work during demand peaks.
The Brussels plant was the scene of a bitter strike that began late last year and lasted for months after Volkswagen decided to cut thousands of jobs there.
Now three Audi A3 models painted in the black yellow and red of the Belgian flag black, yellow and red were prominently on display in what appeared to be a symbolic gesture designed to set aside any doubt as to the loyalty of the automaker to the plant and its some 2200 workers.
The Ingolstadt-based VW unit said in a statement: "The new plant is one of Audi's requirements for achieving its strategic goal of building 1.5-million cars a year by 2015."
Beyond the A3 Sportback, the Brussels plant is scheduled to begin production of the smallest member of the Audi model range, the upcoming A1, at the end of 2009.
Audi said the plant's total output of the A3 and other models was expected to be about 84 000 units in 2007.
It added: "The production 'turntable' between Ingolstadt and Brussels will open up the possibility for further increasing flexibility between the two plants."
Audi also plans to use its smaller Neckarsulm plant to help shift production volumes of the next generation of its A4 mid-size car between plants, allowing the smaller German plant to pick up some of the work during demand peaks.
The Brussels plant was the scene of a bitter strike that began late last year and lasted for months after Volkswagen decided to cut thousands of jobs there.
Now three Audi A3 models painted in the black yellow and red of the Belgian flag black, yellow and red were prominently on display in what appeared to be a symbolic gesture designed to set aside any doubt as to the loyalty of the automaker to the plant and its some 2200 workers.