Production for the new Audi Q3 has begun at SEAT’s factory in Martorell, Spain. The small SUV, which will do battle with BMW’s X1, had its world debut at the recent Shanghai show. Market launch is scheduled for the fourth quarter of this year.
Around 100,000 Q3s are slated to roll off the three-shift assembly line annually. Audi and SEAT together have invested around €330 million in infrastructure and facilities at the 18-year old plant. A new body shop featuring 450 robots was specially set up for the Q3 on a 322,917 sq.ft site. It features the “roof bell,” an innovative development from the Audi Toolmaking Shop in Ingolstadt. A robot grabs the roof and aligns it precisely while a second robot has the roof bell ready for the following roof of the next body.
By building the Q3 at Marotell, Audi will provide about 1,500 jobs at the plant, including 700 newly created positions. This comes at a time when Spain’s economy is in dire straits and unemployment is high, so it can be viewed as social responsibility on VW Group’s part. All staff have completed a 180-hour program designed specifically for the Q3.
In a future second phase, Audi plans to build the Q3 in China for local consumption. Read all about the Q3 and view the gallery here.
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Hey Danny, you still updating the blog at 2.30am?
Between the X1 and the Q3, I think I’ll pick Q3.
Specially for night owls like yourself!
Can’t sleep, might as well la :)
Another compact SUV! This market segment must be getting very crowded than the morning rush hour traffic. The Q3 is being touted as a coupe/hatch/wagon cross over with a look that is bound to divide the crowd. Personally the look is good with the DRL (Daytime Running Lights) looks better than the typical rows of LEDs. Just wonder when VW will launched the mini Tiguan. The market segment is sure getting cramped.
Is it just me or has gone tame???
Well I guess it will only arrive at our shore by mid 2012. Can’t wait to see it and if the price is nicely tagged at $300k or below, we will see a lot of them on our roads.
Hope this’ll be priced below the 200k categories when it comes over to Msia.
Anything more than RM200k is not worth to buy.
Lovely small SUV…. X1 can’t even come close to Q3. wondering what would the price be in M’sia….
Looks sexy!
Like hairdresser you mean.
Are they gonna assemble it in Indonesia?
When are we getting the CBU Audi from Indo? I’m sure the price is affordable…
Is it an SUV? These Q3 and BMW X1 are more like a cross over to me, small like a car but built like an SUV. Just like the Mitsubishi ASX or Suzuki SX4.
wow, nice man!!better than X1
My guess is around RM280k for base model when launched. Full spec will probably be RM310k.
Q5base model is around RM320k now if not mistaken. Full spec is around RM350k.
Nice…hope they will price around RM250k
I think Hyundai Tuscon will dapao this thing. Same front wheel drive, why pay extra?