The carmaker has laid the first stone for its new plant, which is sited in San José Chiapa, Mexico, and will see investment of over €900m in the next two years in a body shop, paint shop and assembly line as well as a new press shop.

With an annual capacity of up to 150,000 units, the new plant will produce the new Q5 from mid-2016, which will form an important part of Audi’s plans for growth.

Audi CEO Rupert Stadler said: ‘With the production of one of our most successful models here in Mexico, we will give significant impetus to our global growth and supply the extremely popular Audi Q5 from here to the world market.’

He added: ‘By setting up a new car plant in North America, we are establishing a presence on another continent that is very important to us. In this way, we are strengthening our international competitiveness and consistently pursuing the Audi growth strategy.’

The carmaker added that Mexico provides the ideal base for the plant as it gives a bridge between the North and South American continents while the emerging economy with a large number of international free-trade agreements offers the best tax and financial conditions, a well-developed infrastructure and the high potential of well-educated employees.

Rafael Moreno Valle, governor of the state of Puebla, said: ‘Our country and the new Audi location in San José Chiapa in Puebla offer the best conditions for the successful development of the entire American market. We are proud that with Audi México, the first international premium manufacturer in the automotive industry is at home in our federal state.’