Photo: radiocraiova.ro
The Ford Motor Company could start producing the EcoSport crossover and all-new generation Ka city car in Romania. According to a local report citing sources close to the matter, the Ford manufacturing plant in Craiova could also get exclusive rights to manufacture the 1.0 EcoBoost three-cylinder turbo.
Ford currently produces the 1.0 EcoBoost in two locations: Cologne, Germany, and Craiova, Romania. As per the report published by Ziarul Financiar, the Cologne plant will stop making the three-banger, with production to shift to Romania. The Ford plant in Craiova is perfect for this considering that it has problems due to dwindling B-Max sales.
At the present moment, the facility in Craiova churns out 46,315 units of the B-Max multi-purpose vehicle per year, which is considerably little compared to its 300,000 full capacity. Other than it and the 1-liter EcoBoost, Craiova also handles production of the 1.5-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder turbo. The Ford plant in Craiova has seen better days, days that could return if the American company decides to ramp up production.
To fill the void left by dwindling Ford B-Max sales, the Blue Oval could add production of the EcoSport and all-new Ka to the underused plant in Craiova. The Euro-spec version of the EcoSport is imported from India and the outgoing Ka is made in Poland on the same production line with the Fiat 500. The new-generation Ka, on the other hand, is already on sale in Brazil and India. The European launch of the all-new Ka is slated for April when the Tychy plant in Poland will end production of the current generation.
Automotive News reached Ford of Europe President Jim Farley on this matter, but the head honcho declined to go into the fine details. “Craiova remains a very critical part of our operation. Expect the Ford team to be laser-focused on continuing to get most of the plant,” he commented.
Before Ford acquired the plant in Craiova from the Romanian government in 2008, the facility was owned by Daewoo. Prior to that, the manufacturing plant handled production of the Citroen-developed Oltcit Club.
At the present moment, the facility in Craiova churns out 46,315 units of the B-Max multi-purpose vehicle per year, which is considerably little compared to its 300,000 full capacity. Other than it and the 1-liter EcoBoost, Craiova also handles production of the 1.5-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder turbo. The Ford plant in Craiova has seen better days, days that could return if the American company decides to ramp up production.
To fill the void left by dwindling Ford B-Max sales, the Blue Oval could add production of the EcoSport and all-new Ka to the underused plant in Craiova. The Euro-spec version of the EcoSport is imported from India and the outgoing Ka is made in Poland on the same production line with the Fiat 500. The new-generation Ka, on the other hand, is already on sale in Brazil and India. The European launch of the all-new Ka is slated for April when the Tychy plant in Poland will end production of the current generation.
Automotive News reached Ford of Europe President Jim Farley on this matter, but the head honcho declined to go into the fine details. “Craiova remains a very critical part of our operation. Expect the Ford team to be laser-focused on continuing to get most of the plant,” he commented.
Before Ford acquired the plant in Craiova from the Romanian government in 2008, the facility was owned by Daewoo. Prior to that, the manufacturing plant handled production of the Citroen-developed Oltcit Club.
Google News