Filed under: Trends, Plants/Manufacturing, Crossovers/CUVs, Audi
Audi Q7 pulling hard out of the gate, beating initial projections
Audi AG announced Friday that it has already received 16,000 orders for the Q7 crossover, which was just launched at the beginning of March. The worldwide launch of the new model remains ongoing, with the crossover selling in most of Europe by the end of March, and startups in the U.S. and China scheduled for June. Other markets will follow in the second half of the year.
Audi has already increased production rates 50-percent to meet the unexpectedly strong demand, to 300 units a day. The company is anticipating annual sales of up to 70,000 units. The mulitnational Q7 is being assembled at Audi's new Slovakia plant (pictured above), which is already running triple shifts to meet demand. The Q7 powerplants are built at Audi's engine facility in Hungary, while its German factories are producing other components and most of the bodywork.
[Source: Audi AG]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Non-Bizarro Adam 9:36AM (3/25/2006)
Stupid Germans!!! What do they think they're doing releasing a big gas guzzling SUV at this time?!? It may be selling well now, but wait until this summer when gas is $52.00 a gallon! Then they'll look stupid!
(In case anyone was wondering, that's the obligatory post that someone puts up anytime an American SUV is released. I figure if its good for us, its good for them.)
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Bert A 9:38AM (3/25/2006)
I guess the huge grille front end worked for Chrysler on everything from their trucks to their cars so why not using it too. I don't think that look can ever be overdone.
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zverg 9:56AM (3/25/2006)
the Q7 looks totally awesome! I absolutely love the new generation Audi designs. Too bad the only car they make that is a form factor I really like is the A3 and it's EXTREMELY heavy and feels dull on the road.
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Philip Dunlop 9:58AM (3/25/2006)
The Q7 is just a "crossover" now? Jesus. On European roads, they don't really come bigger in the SUV segment than the Q7. But obviously in the US it's small enough to be considered a "crossover".
The Audi single-frame grille has a much longer tradition, despite only being recently reintroduced, than Chrysler's behemoth. I personally think it looks great on the Audis.
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RamSport47 10:14AM (3/25/2006)
Philip Dunlop...
OMG...have you NEVER seen a Chrysler product from the ...umm...say 1920's, 1930's, 1940's, 1950's, 1960's, 1970's, and 1980's?????? Chryslers have ALWAYS had big grills.
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Igor Holas 10:17AM (3/25/2006)
Just a side note.. there is no Audi plant in Slovakia.. this is an older VW Plant that now almost exclusively produces Tuaregs and now the Q7's ...
in the past they produced pretty much all of 4x4 VW models and for a while bunch of Seat production, when Spain plants were on strike.
I like the Q7.. would never buy one, but like it. and good to hear my neighbors have still plenty work, and low risk of layoffs.
Igor
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Michael Karesh 10:49AM (3/25/2006)
Pricing is much closer to the Touareg than I would have expected.
To compare the price of the Q7 to other SUVs:
http://www.truedelta.com/models/q7.php
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