Audi breaks ground on Mexico plant

Mexico City, May 6 (IANS/EFE) Audi executives and Economy Secretary Ildefonso Guajardo laid the cornerstone for the German automaker's new plant in Mexico, the Economy Secretariat said in a statement.

The ceremony took place Saturday in San Jose de Chiapas, a city in Puebla state, the secretariat said.

The $1.3 billion Audi plant will have the capacity to produce 150,000 vehicles annually and create 3,800 direct and indirect jobs, the secretariat said.

The decision by Audi, the luxury division of Volkswagen, to build the plant reflects "the confidence of foreign investors in Mexico", Guajardo said.

The plant will begin producing the next generation of the Audi Q5 SUV in 2016.

--IANS/EFE

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