Frightening news...

[Ti Kan]

Louis-Alain Richard writes:
>    FRANKFURT, Oct 24 (AFP) - German automaker Volkswagen plans to manufacture
> the A4 model of its Audi unit in China in order to confront the arrival on the
> Chinese market of rival BMW, the newspaper Handelsblatt reported Thursday,
> quoting sources close to Audi in Asia.
>    By manufacturing in China Volkswagen hopes to reduce the model's sales
> price in order to make it more competitive with BMW's Series 3, which is also
> to be produced next year on Chinese territory, the paper said.
>    It added that Volkswagen and Audi would announce the decision by the end of
> the month.
>    Volkswagen officials were not immediately available for comment.
>    BMW's arrival in China poses a direct threat to Volkswagen, currently the
> leader in passenger auto sales there, where the latter controls nearly 50
> percent of the market.

Nothing frightening about that...  Audi already builds the A6 in its
factory in China.  This is all for the Chinese market only.  I don't
think this is to be interpreted as "all A4s will be built in China".
Currently A4s sold in China have to be imported from Germany, and
that makes it less competitive in that market.

-Ti
2003 A4 1.8T multitronic
2001 S4 biturbo 6-sp
1984 5000S turbo
1980 4000 2.0 5-sp
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    ///  Ti Kan                Vorsprung durch Technik
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