VW China venture plans new Audi assembly line

SHANGHAI, June 12 (Reuters) - Volkswagen's (VOWG.DE) car venture in northeast China plans to add a new Audi assembly line capable of producing as many as 140,000 units per year, a company spokeswoman said on Thursday.

The assembly line, with a total investment of 1 billion yuan ($145 million), is scheduled to start operation in the second half of next year making Audi A4 and Q6 models, the spokeswoman said.

Current Audi capacity at the venture with China's FAW Group is 100,000 units, she said.

Sales of the Volkswagen premium brand in China rose about 25 percent to 101,996 vehicles in 2007. ($1=6.917 Yuan) (Reporting by Fang Yan; Editing by Edmund Klamann)