Ford expands into Asia.

[Yellow_Festiva]

Ford expands, wants one million Asian sales.

Reported by AAP
Monday, October 14, 2013

Ford is catching up to its competitors in key Asian markets and expects to sell more than one million vehicles there for the first time this year.

Key to that growth is China, where Ford's sales were up 51 per cent in the first nine months of the year to 647,849 vehicles, said David Schoch, Ford's group vice president for the Asia Pacific region.

"We're gaining a lot of traction with the new products we've brought into China," Schoch told reporters in Detroit.

The second largest US automaker expects to double its market share in China to nearly five percent by the end of this year, he said.

"We expect Ford Asia Pacific to be a major contributor to Ford profits by the middle of the decade," added Schoch.

Schoch acknowledged that Ford was "slow" to enter the Asian market and the current plan to expand in China wasn't put in place until four years ago.

Prior to that, Ford was distracted by a lengthy period of serious financial problems and major reorganisation.

Rival General Motors was much faster to move into the Asian market and is expected to sell more than three million vehicles in China alone this year.

Ford is currently building manufacturing hubs in China, India and Thailand and recently relocated its regional headquarters to Shanghai.

While those plants will boost Ford's regional capacity of 1.9 million units - which vastly exceeds current sales - the automaker is also moving ahead with the construction of six new regional assembly plants, including four in China.

That will bring total capacity to 2.9 million vehicles by 2015.

"When you're in these emerging markets, you have to think long-term," Schock said.

"We have very aggressive growth targets."

Ford is also expanding the number of models it sells and will soon be introducing the Fiesta, the Mondeo and the Transit Van to the region.

The automaker expects that China - and the region - will play an increasingly important role in the global auto industry.

Annual vehicle sales are expected to hit 32 million in China by the end of the decade - more than in the United States and Europe combined, Schoch said.

Which explains why I saw this in the transit area in Guangzhou last week:





There were 4-5 of these hanging from the ceiling the length of the terminal.

[Joe5619]

Where is the Asia Mondeo getting built from??

[Dr Smith]

Originally Posted by Joe5619

Where is the Asia Mondeo getting built from??

Link: http://corporate.ford.com/news-center/press-releases-detail/pr-ford-mondeo-28044

In China, the media has also been very complimentary when evaluating the all-new Ford Mondeo. The all-new Ford Mondeo, built by Changan Ford Mazda Automobile Company in Chongqing, has received more than 46 awards from the most critical of the Chinese motoring media: A Top Ten Car in 2008 byMotor Trend, A Ten Best Car in 2008 byCar and Driver, Best Driving Performance Car bySina, and Judging Committee's Special Recommendation by China Mainstream Media Alliance.
Mondeo is available in China in four model variants: 2.0-litre Comfort, 2.3-litre Fashion, 2.3-litre Luxury, and 2.3-litre Luxury Sport.

[GQ_Smooth]

"The automaker expects that China - and the region - will play an increasingly important role in the global auto industry".

OMG, stop the Press, China and the Asian region are increasing importance in the global auto industry. I never say that coming, who would have thunked it?

[BDA074]

China has the new Mondeo too???
When will it ever get to Oz???

[Nikked]

Originally Posted by BDA074

China has the new Mondeo too???
When will it ever get to Oz???

Next year.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by BDA074

China has the new Mondeo too???
When will it ever get to Oz???

Same time as new Transit, the year 3199.

[Joe5619]

Originally Posted by Dr Smith

Link: http://corporate.ford.com/news-center/press-releases-detail/pr-ford-mondeo-28044

So why do we need to import ours (AUST) from Europe when Asia builds it too???

[jpd80]

Originally Posted by BDA074

China has the new Mondeo too???
When will it ever get to Oz???

Hatchback arrives about this time next year with FH Falcon but the Mondeo Station wagon will be early 2015.
Moving production to Spain has up rooted everything... if you know what I mean...

[Joe5619]

Originally Posted by Nikked

Next year.

It is released in Europe Qtr4 2014; Australia won’t get it until early 2015

[csv8]

America has had it for a year!! We are always late to the party. Ford need to get cars here, sooner rather than later!!

[Mad_Pom]

We were originally supposed to get it this year (as well as Europe), but remember Ford decided to close a plant in Belgium (the Mondeo plant) and are now busy moving vehicle lines around in Europe, with Mondeo then being built in Spain I think.
The GFC and European down turn caused a delay in RHD models. Europe is the only location to build RHD.

[Joe5619]

Originally Posted by Mad_Pom

We were originally supposed to get it this year (as well as Europe), but remember Ford decided to close a plant in Belgium (the Mondeo plant) and are now busy moving vehicle lines around in Europe, with Mondeo then being built in Spain I think.
The GFC and European down turn caused a delay in RHD models. Europe is the only location to build RHD.

It surprises me we don’t get it from Asia. It would be lower build costs & closer to freight. Ford should have a plant in this region building this platform in RHD (Hello, broadmeadows!!)?? Is it a costly thing to get the Asia plant to build RHD as well? It would make pricing far more competitive than importing from Europe?

[Bossxr8]

Especially with all the talk from Ford about how FoA exporting is so hard because of the distances involved, then they sent the Mondeo half way around the world to us when they have a plant making it half the distance away.

[Nikked]

Originally Posted by Bossxr8

Especially with all the talk from Ford about how FoA exporting is so hard because of the distances involved, then they sent the Mondeo half way around the world to us when they have a plant making it half the distance away.

Difference being we don't tax the imports...and a lot of European facilities don't rely on boatloads of parts, rather Europe where various component facilities are linked closer.


Also, European factories cater for a greater volume, so their exports to us are a small percentage, rather then what we have here...



Hardly rocket surgery, its not just Ford saying its hard...its Ford, Toyota and Holden altogether...

I'd say its pretty obvious...