Audi is preparing to build its biggest SUVs in the United States, with the German luxury brand planning a $4 billion factory in Georgia. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2027, with production planned for the early 2030s. However, the investment still requires approval from Volkswagen Group's relevant committees.

Located near Macon, the plant will have an annual production capacity of up to 200,000 vehicles and is expected to create approximately 4,500 jobs. Although the original announcement didn’t include any model names, Audi CEO Gernot Döllner revealed in an interview with Automotive News which models will carry the Made in USA label.

The Q7, Q8, and Q9 will form the backbone of the Georgia factory's lineup. That makes sense, since the United States is a key market for premium SUVs, where Audi competes with fellow German rivals BMW and Mercedes, along with local players such as Cadillac and Lincoln. The first-ever Q9, in particular, will target established full-size luxury SUVs such as the X7 and GLS, as Audi looks to strengthen its position at the top of the segment with a belated entry.

We need to talk about the timing. Audi has already revealed the next-generation Q7 and the first-ever Q9. By the time production starts in Georgia in the early 2030s, these luxobarges will likely have undergone a mid-cycle facelift. Meanwhile, both the Q7 and Q9 will be sourced from the Bratislava plant in Slovakia.

The same goes for the Q8, which, yes, will live to see a second generation .

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