The next stake for the plant in Craiova is the Ka model, whose new concept Ford unveiled last week. It could be assembled in Romania, because it is designed on the same platform as the B-Max. The new model is scheduled for launch in 2015.
“Craiova manufactures engines for us, as well as B-Max [cars]. We cannot talk about future plans now but can say the plant has an important role for Ford. For the time being, we cannot say exactly where the new Ka for the European market will be made,” said Barb Samardzich, chief operating officer of Ford of Europe.
The statements of Ford Europe COO come after Ford’s plant in Craiova stopped production of cars for 40 days this year, due to the decline in demand on the European market. Ford will also halt production of engines for seven days in December, in addition to the eight days in November.
When Ford bought the plant in March 2008, its officials talked about annual productions of 250,000 to 300,000 cars and boosting the number of employees from 3,900 to 7,000 instead of the voluntary layoff programs conducted three times ever since.
Ford of Europe’s vice president marketing sales and service, Roelant de Waard, sees the glass half full and says the B-Max model is a real best-seller, the best-seller of the segment, even though reality at the plant contradicts him. Moreover the quality provided by the plant in Craiova is good, he added.
“Segmentation of the European auto market is changing now and moving towards SUVs. We can currently focus on B-Max to make it number 1 in the segment but there is nothing we can do about the market or the segment,” he said.
Despite the production halts at Ford Craiova, the plant there will have made some 70,000 cars by the end of the year, the highest level ever for the facility.
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)