Ford Compact Verve To Be Produced In Nanjing Next Year

SHANGHAI - December 3, 2007:

Ford's compact sedan Verve will be locally produced in Changan Ford’s Nanjing plant by the end of next year, and the model will go on sale in Chinese market in early 2009, a top Changan Ford executive said.

The Verve concept, designed in Europe, competes in what the industry calls the 'B-Car' segment of the market, one that is popular overseas but is smaller than most compact cars sold in the U.S., the Associated Press said.

The dynamic Ford Verve Concept four-door notchback is a star of the fifth annual Guangzhou Auto Show. The fact that Ford staged the global debut of the four-door Verve Concept at Guangzhou Autoshow testifies to the importance of the Chinese market in Ford’s global plans.

"With this new four-door Verve Concept, the picture of Ford’s big plans for the small-car segment is becoming clearer,” said Phil Spender, Chief Operation Officer of Ford Motor (China) Ltd. “Our future small car is being developed as a global car. It will be designed in Europe, engineered in Germany and manufactured globally. These two Verve Concepts demonstrate how confident Ford is in its direction and its appeal to consumers here in China.”

"The company’s plant in Nanjing is expected to produce 50,000-80,000 vehicles next year. When Verve starts production in 2009, the Nanjing plant will reach its peak production capacity of 160,000 a year,” said Shen president of Changan Ford Mazda.

Changan Ford Mazda is expected to produce 225,000 this year, up 35 percent from one year earlier, Shen said. “But the Chongqing plant’s maximum capacity is only 250,000.”

For more information about the burgeoning auto industry in China please visit http://www.gasgoo.com/Autobiz/list/7/China-News.html