Ford Realigns European Production

[mackinaw]

From today's Automotive News:

 

"Ford plans to launch at least 20 all-new or significantly freshened vehicles in Europe over the next three years. The automaker outlined its production plans in a statement on Tuesday, which said:

 

1)The next-generation Transit Connect small van and Kuga medium SUV will be built in Valencia. Currently the Transit Connect is built in Kocaeli, Turkey, and the Kuga in Saarlouis.

2) Saarlouis, which recently started production of the new Focus, will build the Focus Electric starting 2012. The plant also will produce the next-generation Focus.

3) Ford's plant in Cologne, Germany, will build a freshened version of the Fiesta that goes into production next year, as well as the next-generation Fiesta.

4) The Cologne engine plant will begin producing the carmaker's new fuel-efficient 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine later this year.

5) Craiova will build the new B-Max starting in early 2012 and also will manufacture a second B-segment vehicle in the future. The plant also will begin producing the new fuel-efficient 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine in early 2012.

6) Kocaeli will build an all-new light commercial vehicle in addition to the next-generation Transit commercial vehicle and will continue to provide engineering for the next-generation Transit Connect to be built in Spain.

7) Ford's plant in Southampton, England, will produce the chassis cab derivative of the next-generation Ford Transit.

 

 

More here:

 

http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110614/ANE/110619949/1498

[silvrsvt]

 

6) Kocaeli will build an all-new light commercial vehicle in addition to the next-generation Transit commercial vehicle and will continue to provide engineering for the next-generation Transit Connect to be built in Spain.

 

 

Hmm guess that means the next gen Transit Connect is going to be built in the States?

[NickF1011]

Hmm guess that means the next gen Transit Connect is going to be built in the States?

 

If Ford saw the demand for it here, which they seem to, I'm pretty sure that was their long term plan all along.

[weiweishen]

Hmm guess that means the next gen Transit Connect is going to be built in the States?

Is 2,000 so on unit sales figure justified for manufacture of transit connect in the States

[NickF1011]

Is 2,000 so on unit sales figure justified for manufacture of transit connect in the States

 

As a baseline, probably not, but Transit Connect sales are slowly trending upward.

[Biker16]

As a baseline, probably not, but Transit Connect sales are slowly trending upward.

 

think of it like this, the current product is not optimized for the US market, (engines transmissions. and more expensive than it could be.)

 

If the new TC was available in 2 wheelbases, and 2 roof heights, with both EB and 2.5l engine mated to a 6spd automatic. With a slightly lower base price, how many more vehicles could be sold?

 

I nwould put the number at 50k per year of a global vehicle to warrant local sourcing.

 

I think if the TC is made in Mexico for both north and south America, we could be looking at volumes of 75-100k per year.

 

I love this Stuff!!!

 

with a global ford We can see how the chess moves in Europe affect Ford in North America.

 

All this news corresponds with ford's global growth strategy.

 

I can make wild prediction for future models.

 

because of north American volume ford can ditch Fiat and develop the Ford start on the next fiesta architecture, and not lose money.

 

Ford is going all-in with the new 1.0 EB with 2 proiduction site in europe. compared with the singe site for the small sigma I4 (1.25-1.6) and one for the duratec I4 (1.8-2.5).

 

by removing the Kuga and C-max from Saarlouis, you will have a grealty simplified production system with only one floorpan and only three top-hats. Compared to the 3 floorpans and 7 top hats before. (focus 3dr, 5dr, sedan, wagon, CC, kuga, C-max) I would bet there will be a another product other than what has been announced to to be built there/

 

Spain has for the first time in recent memory has it's own product. FYI Spain, turkey and Romania are FoE's low-cost plants adding the TC allows for easier exports and shows that ford is doing something special with the next TC, on the C2 architecture. producing the smaller TC in a C-car plant make sense, as opposed to producing it in a Full sized Van plant.

 

Turkey is losing the TC but gaining an unknown commercial product to replace it. look interesting.

 

the UK is of note because AFAIK they produce vans as well as cutaways for the home market, there was no mention of Van production in the PR.

 

As the world turns.

 

We see CD4 come into focus.

 

with produciton starting at KCAP in the Q1 of 2012. KCAP is garanteed to recieve a NEW flex body shop and some line improvements. for only 400 million of investment it looks to not require much to launch a new product. that said we can infer that Fusion like the Contour before the Escape will land there. there was talke of the time needed to retool KCAP-C for new production, I think you could build a new body shop external to the existing plant and continue to run the escape at Full bore until production ends and the new body shop can begin supplying the facility after a shutdown of 4-6 weeks. After looking at the plant, I would guess it has two separate body shops, and paint shops.

 

MAP and LAP will be maxed out on 3 shifts before long. We may need a 3rd site not because of voulme but because of the complexity of the models the market requires.

 

HAP could make TCs C-max-7 and Fusions for the the US and south America.

 

Would not rule out B-max production for North and south America from Caucutain where the Fiesta is made currently, and even KA/Start production in the future there.

 

The rest of the North America will not be announced until after the Union contract is signed.