Monday, November 2, 2009

Vw Amarok production to start in Argentina before the end of this year

Production will begin in Argentina before the end of this year for Volkswagen’s new Amarok pickup truck, according to VW Argentina spokesman Ronnie Frost. Starting in the first quarter of 2010, the vehicles will be exported mainly to Brazil, Germany, South Africa and Australia .

Amarok translates to wolf in inuit Eskimo, although it also means ‘he loves stones’ in some languages spoken in South America . It will be produced at VW’s Pacheco plant near Buenos Aires in Argentina . In early 2010, the Amarok will be launched first in South America, followed by Central America in spring 2010, then Russia and Europe in the summer. VW has so far invested about US$340 million at the plant, partly to modify local assembly lines. Competitors in the region include models by Toyota and Nissan but VW Argentina remains confident. It said that it aims to close 2009 as the leading vehicle maker in the country, with a market share of between 26% and 28% of a total annual production estimated at 500,000 units.