Audi halts production of the A3

Not all that glitters is gold in Germany. We recently reported how the German country had managed to pull the world car sales cart forward with an increase of more than 700,000 cars sold in 2009. Well, the Audi A3 is an exception, since excess stock of this model has led the brand to decide to temporarily cancel its production.

Much of the blame for these poor sales must lie with the fact that it is a relatively veteran model, having first seen the light of day in 2003 and having undergone two facelifts. A new version would be just what was needed, but first the accumulated stock must be got rid of , and that could mean offers in the coming months to clear vehicles that have already been manufactured.

The stoppage on the assembly line, which will affect much of the 4,500 workers at the Ingolstadt plant, will take place during the week of 15 February. We don’t know exactly what will happen to those jobs but the workers will surely not be especially happy with the situation.

The next generation of the Audi A3 is expected to arrive in mid-2011, with a design more in line with the company’s recent launches and dimensions larger than the current model’s , better prepared to face its rivals and once again be crowned the premium compact par excellence, a position it has dominated in recent years.

Source | Diariomotor