Ford has announced the start of the production run of the Euro-spec EcoSport small SUV at its plant in Craiova, Romania.
Ford has decided to shift the production of the Euro-spec EcoSport from their plant in India to Romania due to the rising demand, with the company investing up to 200 million euros in the Craiova factory and creating at the same time 1,700 new jobs there.
“EcoSport is another example of how Ford is growing our business on our strengths – including world-class SUVs,” said Steven Armstrong, Ford group vice president and president, Europe Middle East and Africa. “With demand growing for EcoSport, and compact SUVs in general, now is the right time to localize production in Europe to meet our customers’ needs.”
Ford’s SUV sales in Europe grew more than 30 percent in 2016 and have risen by 27 percent in the first eight months of 2017. The Craiova plant will become the sole source of the EcoSport for 56 markets, including Europe, UK, Turkmenistan and South Africa. The company’s 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine will also continue being produced there.
The new Ford EcoSport will arrive with a new design that brings it in line with the rest of the range and an overhauled interior, mirroring the changes that affected the current Fiesta. A Sync3 infotainment, the company’s intelligent all-wheel drive, better quality materials and an ST-Line version are all part of the new model’s range.
Pricing for the new Ford EcoSport will begin from £16,845 OTR in the UK, with the new ST-Line model starting from £20,295. Ford says that the first deliveries will begin in early 2018.
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