Toyota rolls off its first made-in-China Camry

Toyota Motor Corporation just rolled off its first Chinese-built Camry sedan which is based on the highly succesfull U.S. model. The launch, from Toyota's new $475 million factory in Nansha, near the southern city of Guangzhou, symbolizes the automaker's ambitions for China, which is about to surpass Japan as the world's second-largest auto market.

Toyota, a relative latecomer to China, hasn’t revved up in the specific market, as it controls just 3,5 percent of the Chinese market, with 180,000 vehicles sold in 2005. That puts it behind top foreign automakers like GM (665,390 units) and Volkswagen.

The former Camry was the lead import model in China during the past decade, selling about 30,000 cars annually. By shifting production to China, Toyota hopes to double its sales. Toyota's new plant comes with an annual output capacity of 100,000 units, though it aims to build 60,000 units this year. If the Camry takes off, a second shift will be introduced lifting capacity to over 200,000 units.

The new China-built Camry will sell for between $25.000 to $35.000 (200.000 yuan and 270.000 Yuan).

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New Audi Q5 to be built in Germany

EUR 300 million to be invested in production facilities
Production to start in 2008
Location chosen on strength of high productivity

The decision has been made: the new Audi Q5 will be built in Germany. The new model will start rolling off the production line at Ingolstadt in 2008. To that end, around EUR 300 million will be invested in the production facilities over the next years. Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn, Chairman of the Board of Management of AUDI AG, explained: “The decision demonstrates what potential there is for industrial production in Germany. We are delighted that the Audi Q5 will be built in Ingolstadt, now that we have reached an agreement with the Works Council enabling us to build it at a competitive cost.” A total of some 1,700 workers will be involved in production of the Audi Q5 in Ingolstadt. “This decision will also benefit employment at Neckarsulm, because both plants will be very closely interlinked,” added Winterkorn.

The decision to build the Audi Q5 at Ingolstadt is the third major decision within a short space of time that AUDI AG has reached in favour of a German location. Just a few months ago, it was announced that the new Audi A5 is to be built in Ingolstadt, and the Audi R8 sports car in Neckarsulm. Production of the Audi R8 will commence in the fourth quarter of 2006.

The Audi Q5 will join the Audi Q7 as the Audi brand's second model in the sport utility vehicle (SUV) segment. “The Audi Q5 will be an overtly sporty vehicle that will add an important product to the Audi model range. The Audi Q5 will take us a big step closer to vehicle sales of 1.4 million per year, a target that we have set ourselves for 2015,” continued Winterkorn.

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