Ford to shift Fiesta production to Thailand
US carmaker Ford will shift the entire production of its Fiesta compact car from its plants in Mexico and India to Thailand by 2016 in a move to free up production capacity in North America, the Detroit News reported on May 16.
In detail, the automaker plans to move Fiesta manufacturing from its Cuautitlán assembly plant in Mexico as well as its Chennai assembly plant in India to a centralised facility in Thailand, according to the report. A Ford plant in Rayong, Thailand, is currently a manufacturing site for the Fiesta. The Fiesta also is made at seven other plants across the globe.
The planned production consolidation in Thailand would take place between Fiesta generations. The small car is currently in its sixth generation and is going through its mid-cycle refresh for the 2014 model year. The next generation is expected to be built on a new, more flexible platform, in line with Ford’s long-term strategy of reducing its number of global platforms to cut development costs.
Along with the Fiesta, the Rayong plant — one of two Ford plants in the province and a joint venture between Ford and Japanese carmaker Mazda — also produces the Ford Ranger pickup and Everest SUV, along with Mazda’s BT-Series pickups.
Ford executives see Southeast Asia as an increasingly important manufacturing region and have pointed to Thailand as a model of success.
After Ford opened the Rayong plant in 2012, the company said in a statement: “Along with China and India, Thailand serves as one of the key global production and export hubs for Ford Motor Company.”
According to the statement, Ford’s factories in Thailand can produce eight times more vehicles than the company sells, and can export cars tax-free throughout Southeast Asia.
[caption id="attachment_9150" align="alignleft" width="300"] Ford's factory in Rayong, Thailand[/caption] US carmaker Ford will shift the entire production of its Fiesta compact car from its plants in Mexico and India to Thailand by 2016 in a move to free up production capacity in North America, the Detroit News reported on May 16. In detail, the automaker plans to move Fiesta manufacturing from its Cuautitlán assembly plant in Mexico as well as its Chennai assembly plant in India to a centralised facility in Thailand, according to the report. A Ford plant in Rayong, Thailand, is currently a manufacturing site for the Fiesta....
US carmaker Ford will shift the entire production of its Fiesta compact car from its plants in Mexico and India to Thailand by 2016 in a move to free up production capacity in North America, the Detroit News reported on May 16.
In detail, the automaker plans to move Fiesta manufacturing from its Cuautitlán assembly plant in Mexico as well as its Chennai assembly plant in India to a centralised facility in Thailand, according to the report. A Ford plant in Rayong, Thailand, is currently a manufacturing site for the Fiesta. The Fiesta also is made at seven other plants across the globe.
The planned production consolidation in Thailand would take place between Fiesta generations. The small car is currently in its sixth generation and is going through its mid-cycle refresh for the 2014 model year. The next generation is expected to be built on a new, more flexible platform, in line with Ford’s long-term strategy of reducing its number of global platforms to cut development costs.
Along with the Fiesta, the Rayong plant — one of two Ford plants in the province and a joint venture between Ford and Japanese carmaker Mazda — also produces the Ford Ranger pickup and Everest SUV, along with Mazda’s BT-Series pickups.
Ford executives see Southeast Asia as an increasingly important manufacturing region and have pointed to Thailand as a model of success.
After Ford opened the Rayong plant in 2012, the company said in a statement: “Along with China and India, Thailand serves as one of the key global production and export hubs for Ford Motor Company.”
According to the statement, Ford’s factories in Thailand can produce eight times more vehicles than the company sells, and can export cars tax-free throughout Southeast Asia.
