Car manufacturing at Audi Hungaria has grown from the iconic TT model, making the company one of the world’s most modern vehicle factories, currently producing derivatives of the Q3 model after the end of the production of the third generation of this sports car. However, it won’t be long before a new Spanish guest feels at home in Győr for a longer period, as the arrival of CUPRA Terramar will make our company the first multi-brand site of the Group. So it’s no surprise to see the Spanish brand’s neon logo amongst two beautiful Audi cars on the vehicle stand of the NEXT LEVEL GALLERY showcasing vehicle manufacturing.

A familiar face smiles at us from afar at the stand: Szilvia Weisz is the head of the vehicle factory’s production ramp-up management, so there is no vehicle project she is not involved in, and you could not find a more expert guide than her.

What role does vehicle manufacturing play in the life of Audi Hungaria today?

For decades, one of the most important roles in our company’s portfolio has been vehicle manufacturing, which now covers the entire spectrum. Our premium cars inspire hundreds of thousands of customers around the world, and their expectations are met by our products. We have been producing vehicles in Győr since 1998, when the series production of the TT (now considered as a “Hungaricum”) started, with the last units having just left the production line. Three generations, with more than 600,000 cars have been manufactured, all here, from Győr to the world. Perhaps these figures, alongside the other models we have manufactured and manufacture now – e.g. A3, Q3 – show what an important pillar of our business vehicle manufacturing has become: 4,200 of our 12,000 employees work in the vehicle manufacturing areas where every 100 seconds another premium car rolls off our production lines.

Vehicle manufacturing was revived in Győr 25 years ago. Looking back, what were the highlights of this period?

After the start-up in 1998, the initial assembly activity quickly expanded and, in addition to the traditional vehicle manufacturing processes, we also took on support areas such as pre-production and analysis, production management, production planning and ramp-up management. I would like to highlight the year 2013 in our history when the opening of the new vehicle factory also marked the beginning of a new era in our vehicle production, as Audi Hungaria became a full vehicle production plant – with a press shop, body shop, paint shop and assembly shop, together with the associated logistics and quality assurance activities. Then in 2018, we stepped it up a gear with the start of series production of the first SUV model from Győr, i.e. the Audi Q3, which also represented a big leap for us in terms of unit sales. And now, as you can see from the CUPRA logo illuminated above our stand, we are also on the threshold of a new stage. Soon we will become the first multi-brand site of our Group and will start manufacturing the CUPRA Terramar, ensuring and proving the future viability of our company.

Future viability is tied to Next Level, the company’s new strategy. What does the future hold for vehicle manufacturing in Győr? What did you bring to your stand?

Electric cars are now the declared future, and we are on the road to transformation. The production of mild hybrid cars started in 2019, and a year later we took it to the next level with the arrival of the plug-in hybrids Audi Q3 and Q3 SB. We are steadily increasing the share of electric vehicles in our production, with nearly 55,000 plug-in hybrid Q3 models manufactured since December 2020. We are showcasing our diversity at the exhibition, which is one of the things that makes us stand out in the Group. For example, our paint shop offers both matt and gloss paints on the same production line, available for all model variants produced in Győr. And the CUPRA logo literally signals that we are about to become a multi-brand site.

What are the key competencies that make this unbroken success story possible?

I think our people have a very broad range of competencies that are equally important and contribute to the quality and quantity of our products. We are particularly proud of our aluminum machining skills, the aforementioned matt paints, our achievements in pre-production and analysis, and our seamless management of ramp-ups.

From Győr to the world, this is also true to the maximum in vehicle manufacturing, as you deliver your vehicles (sports cars, SUVs and hybrids) to 120 countries. What is your most popular product here at the Next Level Gallery today?

Presenting the final product is always a rewarding task, especially when it’s such a wonderful car. So you really don’t have to fight for the looks of interest and appreciation. What is the most popular one? Sports cars still get people’s hearts racing, so the TT is still the favorite.