Audi has never built a car in the United States. That changes in Georgia, but not on any timeline that helps you this decade. Audi confirmed on October 25, 2026, that it will spend about $4 billion on its first U.S. plant, and the Audi Georgia factory won’t reach full output until 2031. Shop for a Q7 or Q9 now and you’re still buying an import, so price it that way.
Quick answer: Audi will build its first U.S. plant at the Middle Georgia Megasite in Peach County. It will invest about $4 billion and hire roughly 4,500 people. It’s designed for up to 200,000 SUVs a year aimed at North American buyers. Site work begins in 2027, and Georgia expects full production in 2031.
Where is the Audi Georgia factory, and how big is it?
The site is the Middle Georgia Megasite in Peach County, near Perry. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp’s office announced the deal on October 24, and Audi’s own release followed the next day. The plant is designed for up to 200,000 vehicles a year.
Logistics explain the pick. The state says the ports of Savannah and Brunswick are each under five hours away by rail. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is a 90-minute drive. Port access matters because Car and Driver expects some of these SUVs to be exported, even though Audi says they’re tailored to North America.
When will the first Georgia-built Audi go on sale?
Not soon, and the two official timelines don’t quite match. Audi says construction starts in 2027 with production in the early 2030s. Georgia’s release is more specific: grading in 2027, building construction in 2028 and full production in 2031. We’d trust the state’s dates, since grading always comes before vertical construction.
Here’s what that means in practice. A 36-month lease signed today ends in late 2029. You could finish that lease and most of a second one before a Georgia-built Audi reaches a showroom.
Which Audi models will Georgia build?
Audi hasn’t said. Its release only promises premium SUVs for North American customers. Car and Driver, citing Reuters, reported that a U.S. official named the Q7, Q8 and Q9, and that’s a reasonable guess, since those are Audi’s largest SUVs.
The same official reportedly said Audi plans to build 25,000 vehicles a year at Scout Motors’ new plant in Blythewood, South Carolina. Audi hasn’t confirmed that either. If it happens, it could put an American-built Audi on sale years before Georgia does.
Will the Audi Georgia factory lower Q9 prices?
Don’t count on a price cut. Count on less risk of a price hike.
According to Car and Driver, Audi imports every U.S. model from Europe or Mexico, and tariffs cost the Volkswagen Group $4 billion in 2025, with $1.4 billion of that hitting Audi. The magazine notes many automakers absorbed those costs instead of raising prices. Local production gives Audi room to keep doing that.
The 2027 Audi Q9 starts at $87,700 before destination with a 429-hp engine, according to Audi’s media site. BMW lists the 2027 X7 xDrive40i at $87,500, and builds it in Spartanburg, South Carolina.
Audi is matching a domestically built rival within $200 while paying import costs BMW largely avoids. That gap is what Georgia is meant to close.
Our read: the factory protects Audi’s margins first and your price second. Any savings would show up as fewer surprise increases in the early 2030s, not as a lower sticker in 2027.
What should you do if you’re shopping for an Audi SUV now?
Buy on today’s numbers. Waiting for a Georgia-built Q7 or Q9 means waiting five years or more for a plant with no confirmed models and no announced pricing. Tariff policy can also change several times before then, which makes any wait-and-save plan a guess.
If you’d rather not wait, there are three-row options at very different prices right now. Our breakdown of the 2027 Nissan Pathfinder price covers the mainstream end, and the 2027 Kia Sorento Hybrid price shows what a smaller three-row hybrid costs. For luxury, see the Escalade-V 125th Anniversary edition or Lexus’ upcoming three-row TZ electric SUV.
Audi Georgia factory FAQ
Where is Audi building its first U.S. factory?
Audi is building its first U.S. plant at the Middle Georgia Megasite in Peach County, Georgia, near Perry. Georgia’s governor announced the project on October 24, 2026, and Audi confirmed it on October 25. The company plans to invest about $4 billion and create roughly 4,500 jobs at the site.
When will Audi start building cars in Georgia?
Not before the early 2030s. Audi says construction starts in 2027 with production in the early 2030s. Georgia’s release is more precise, listing site grading in 2027, building construction in 2028 and full production in 2031 at up to 200,000 vehicles a year. Dates could shift as the project moves through planning.
What Audi models will be made in Georgia?
Audi hasn’t confirmed any models. It says only that the plant will build premium SUVs tailored to North American customers. Car and Driver, citing Reuters, reported a U.S. official named the Q7, Q8 and Q9. Treat that as likely but unconfirmed until Audi announces its product plan for the site.
The Audi Georgia factory is a 2031 story. For anyone buying a big Audi SUV between now and then, the number that matters is the $200 that separates an imported $87,700 Q9 from a South Carolina-built X7.