Audi’s new Chinese plant to begin production next month

The move will double the manufacturer's capacity in China to 200,000 units with the opening of the 1 billion yuan (US$146.3 million) factory.

The plant, jointly built by Audi and its China partner FAW Group, will make the long wheelbase version of the Audi A4 sedan, which is called the A4L, and the Q5 premium SUV (as pictured above).

The A4L currently is made at Audi's first China plant, which also based in the northeastern city of Changchun.

China has been a bright spot for global automakers hit badly by a sharp industry downturn. Government stimulus measures in China have done a good job lifting consumer confidence.

Audi increased its deliveries to customers in China, its largest export market, by 11 percent to a record 66,866 vehicles in the first half. The automaker's sales in June rose 28 percent to 13,265 vehicles, which was an all-time best for the month.