Ford launches European production of its EcoSport compact SUV in a bid to keep pace with the continent’s fastest-growing sector.
Vehicles began rolling off the assembly plant in Craiova, Romania, after the automaker decided to add European capacity rather than continue importing from its existing main production plant for the EcoSport in Chennai, India.
“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.”
Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, Prime Minister Mihai Tudose and other senior national and local officials joined nearly 4,000 Ford workers as the first of the new EcoSports rolled off the lines.
Total industry sales of SUVs in Ford’s 20 European traditional markets grew 27% last year and accounted for more than one in four new car registrations. Ford’s SUV sales in Europe grew more than 30% in 2016 and rose 27% year-over-year in the first eight months of 2017.
By year-end, Ford is creating another 1,700 jobs at Craiova, bringing the total workforce for both vehicle and engine production to 3,900. Ford’s total investment in its Romanian facility now exceeds €1 billion ($1.2 billion) since it took over the plant in March 2008.
Craiova is the sole source of EcoSport production for Europe, excluding Russia, and supplies 56 markets including the U.K., New Caledonia in Oceania, Turkmenistan in Central Asia and South Africa.
