Posted by meb at January 31st, 2007

Ford Motor Co., world’s third largest auto company, may sell European products in the United States, such as the Mondeo, S-Max, and Transit which is solely produced in Turkey, at Ford-Otosan plant in Kocaeli.
Ford-Otosan is the top auto production and sales company in Turkey, equally controlled by Ford Global and Koç Holding with some public shares.
“The probability is very high” that Ford will tap  its global product bank for U.S. consumers in the near term, CEO Alan Mulally said, Automotive News reported.
He spoke after Ford announced a $12.7 billion loss for 2006, the worst financial results in its 103-year history. Dragging down those results was a dismal performance in North America, where Ford reported a 2006 automotive operating loss of $6.1 billion before taxes and charges.
By contrast, Ford made $469 million last year in Europe, where its product portfolio is garnering accolades.
To restore the beleaguered automaker to profitability, Mulally wants to create a lineup of cars and trucks that can be sold in multiple regions. Since arriving from Boeing last September, Mulally has criticized Ford’s disjointed product development, which prevents it from selling the same vehicles in Europe and America.
The S-Max crossover, Mondeo sedan and Transit, a boxy commercial van, are European products that could be sold in the United States, Mulally said last week.
The Transit family could give Ford’s North American operation an immediate shot in the arm. The Transit Connect is expected to go on sale in the United States as soon as the second half of this year.
The Transit Connect, a commercial van smaller than the regular Transit, comes in short- and long- wheelbase versions that are 168.4 and 178.1 inches — making the smaller version roughly the length of a Chrysler PT Cruiser.
European base prices range from $19,215 to $27,483. Ford sold 1,761 units of the Transit Connect in Europe through the first 11 months of 2006.
“What a neat vehicle for commerce in the United States,” Mulally said of the Transit. “We need a small utility, a really high-utilization vehicle.”
The vehicle would be aimed at small item delivery, such as flowers, and tradespersons who don’t carry bulky equipment.
Mulally didn’t confirm Ford’s plans for the Transit Connect. But Ford has shown the vehicle to some U.S. dealers and analysts, telling them it would be sold here soon.
The van, which sells in Europe with a 1.8-liter diesel engine, will be imported from Turkey. Some analysts say Ford could begin North American production of the Transit Connect in 2010. Ford won’t confirm that plan.
Another strong candidate for import would be the S-Max, a crossover based on the mid-sized car platform that underpins the next-generation Mondeo. It was named the European Car of the Year for 2007. Ford is working on a plan to bring the S-Max to the United States, sources said.

source: www.thenewanatolian.com