The Blue Oval will expand its business in South Africa by adding the Everest to the Silverton Assembly Plant, in Pretoria.
Production of the 7-seater SUV will commence in the third quarter of this year and the first units are expected to arrive by the end of 2016. The Everest made in Pretoria will be offered locally and in markets across Sub-Saharan Africa and will join the Ranger at the Silverton assembly line.
This decision follows a $170 million investment in the expansion of the facility, which has created 1,200 new jobs at Ford South Africa and within its supplier network; part of the investment was directed towards manufacturing the Ranger. The pickup truck has performed well in South Africa, as 33,920 units were sold in 2015 alone from the total of 78,471 passenger cars and light commercial vehicles Ford delivered in 2015.
The Silverton facility will join the AutoAlliance Thailand, Chennai India and Nanchang China plants, where the Everest/Endeavor is already being produced. The automaker currently imports the SUV from Thailand and offers it in two editions, XLT and Limited, both with a 3.2-liter 5-pot Duratorq TDCi connected to an automatic transmission. Once production commences in Pretoria, the 2.2-liter Duratorq four-cylinder will join the range, along with more trim levels.
PHOTO GALLERY
