Mondeo production increse Pondered, US-Bound sooner?
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Tasca Super Boss 429 Member
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Mondeo production increse Pondered, US-Bound sooner?
http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dl.../70326010/1528
Mullay's champing at the bit to bring Mondeo to the US in some form, rumors are swirling that the next-gen Fusion and Mondeo will be platform+engineering twins, and now news that the Mondeo plant's looking at adding a third shift. Sure, some of that could be Eastern Europe sales, but its starting to look more and more like Mondeo's on its way.
Mullay's champing at the bit to bring Mondeo to the US in some form, rumors are swirling that the next-gen Fusion and Mondeo will be platform+engineering twins, and now news that the Mondeo plant's looking at adding a third shift. Sure, some of that could be Eastern Europe sales, but its starting to look more and more like Mondeo's on its way.
Closet American
Joined: July 17, 2005
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From: Vancouver, BC (Hollywood North)
Well, if you read that article carefully, it actually says this >>
I see no evidence suggesting that it is coming Stateside.
Even if it were, how do you position it vis-a-vis the Fusion? And as to the two being engineering stablemates, where are you getting that rumor from?
Mattes said Ford of Europe is looking more closely at expanding in eastern Europe than at exporting to the United States.
He foresees especially good growth potential in Russia, where Ford sales doubled last year to about 125,000 units. "As a result, we are interested in the ex-Daewoo factory in Romania," he said.
He foresees especially good growth potential in Russia, where Ford sales doubled last year to about 125,000 units. "As a result, we are interested in the ex-Daewoo factory in Romania," he said.
Even if it were, how do you position it vis-a-vis the Fusion? And as to the two being engineering stablemates, where are you getting that rumor from?
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Tasca Super Boss 429 Member
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I get the Fusion/Mondeo rumor from Lewis Booth, Ford of Europe Chair.
http://www.autoblog.com/2007/03/05/c...pe-for-mondeo/
http://detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/art...703060365/1364
While he does not explicitly say "The next-gen Fusion and Mondeo willl be engineering stablemates," he's sure as heck implying it.
As to the current Mondeo. Yes, Bernhard Mattes is looking for growth in the East. But the article explicitly states that US production's a factor in the decision, why would that be if they weren't considering any US production.? A thrid shift at Cologne would put that plant at a capacity of 450,000 units a year. When you consider that Western Europe's much larger car market is projected to top out at 190,00 Mondeos a year, and S-Max/Galaxy sales under 100,000 annually, there's no way in heck that Eastern Europe's market could take 160,000+ Mondeos/Galaxies/S-maxes in the near future. I just don't see FoE making the financial commitment to a thrid shift unless they were sure they'd sell a good chunk of those 160,000 units. To me, that says someone at Ford's trying to crunch the numers to make an earlier US launch happen, and as part of that Cologne's looking at a third shift.
http://www.autoblog.com/2007/03/05/c...pe-for-mondeo/
http://detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/art...703060365/1364
While he does not explicitly say "The next-gen Fusion and Mondeo willl be engineering stablemates," he's sure as heck implying it.
As to the current Mondeo. Yes, Bernhard Mattes is looking for growth in the East. But the article explicitly states that US production's a factor in the decision, why would that be if they weren't considering any US production.? A thrid shift at Cologne would put that plant at a capacity of 450,000 units a year. When you consider that Western Europe's much larger car market is projected to top out at 190,00 Mondeos a year, and S-Max/Galaxy sales under 100,000 annually, there's no way in heck that Eastern Europe's market could take 160,000+ Mondeos/Galaxies/S-maxes in the near future. I just don't see FoE making the financial commitment to a thrid shift unless they were sure they'd sell a good chunk of those 160,000 units. To me, that says someone at Ford's trying to crunch the numers to make an earlier US launch happen, and as part of that Cologne's looking at a third shift.
Closet American
Joined: July 17, 2005
Posts: 5,851
Likes: 1
From: Vancouver, BC (Hollywood North)
I get the Fusion/Mondeo rumor from Lewis Booth, Ford of Europe Chair.
http://www.autoblog.com/2007/03/05/c...pe-for-mondeo/
http://detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/art...703060365/1364
While he does not explicitly say "The next-gen Fusion and Mondeo willl be engineering stablemates," he's sure as heck implying it.
As to the current Mondeo. Yes, Bernhard Mattes is looking for growth in the East. But the article explicitly states that US production's a factor in the decision, why would that be if they weren't considering any US production.? A thrid shift at Cologne would put that plant at a capacity of 450,000 units a year. When you consider that Western Europe's much larger car market is projected to top out at 190,00 Mondeos a year, and S-Max/Galaxy sales under 100,000 annually, there's no way in heck that Eastern Europe's market could take 160,000+ Mondeos/Galaxies/S-maxes in the near future. I just don't see FoE making the financial commitment to a thrid shift unless they were sure they'd sell a good chunk of those 160,000 units. To me, that says someone at Ford's trying to crunch the numers to make an earlier US launch happen, and as part of that Cologne's looking at a third shift.
http://www.autoblog.com/2007/03/05/c...pe-for-mondeo/
http://detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/art...703060365/1364
While he does not explicitly say "The next-gen Fusion and Mondeo willl be engineering stablemates," he's sure as heck implying it.
As to the current Mondeo. Yes, Bernhard Mattes is looking for growth in the East. But the article explicitly states that US production's a factor in the decision, why would that be if they weren't considering any US production.? A thrid shift at Cologne would put that plant at a capacity of 450,000 units a year. When you consider that Western Europe's much larger car market is projected to top out at 190,00 Mondeos a year, and S-Max/Galaxy sales under 100,000 annually, there's no way in heck that Eastern Europe's market could take 160,000+ Mondeos/Galaxies/S-maxes in the near future. I just don't see FoE making the financial commitment to a thrid shift unless they were sure they'd sell a good chunk of those 160,000 units. To me, that says someone at Ford's trying to crunch the numers to make an earlier US launch happen, and as part of that Cologne's looking at a third shift.
If Ford intends to do with Mercury what GM is doing with Saturn - and evolve it using the Euro Ford lineup, then they might have a fighting chance with the brand, IMHO.
Bullitt Member
Joined: June 21, 2005
Posts: 235
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The rumor I heard was that the next generation Fusion would be the new Mondeo...not that they would have yet another sedan in the lineup. It makes sense, Autoblog reported just a couple of weeks ago that the next Mazda6 is going to be off of that platform, and aren't the Fusion/Milan/MKZ off the current Mazda6 platform? I don't think that the Mondeo name would fly, the Fusion name would probably be better. My info could be off, but that's just the general understanding I've got from what I've come across...
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