After years of public clamoring, Ford has finally decided to bring some its European models to the U.S. But by doing so, Ford will not only make U.S. buyers happy, but will also help boost its own profits.
As it stands now, the Euro-spec and U.S.-spec Focus have very little in common – sharing only 20 percent of their parts. However, when the new Focus launches in the U.S. in 2010, it will share 90 percent of its parts with its European counterpart, according to Automotive News. By making the Focus a truly global car, Ford expects to boost Focus profits by a double-digit percentage.
Also adding to Ford ’s bottom line is the fact that the next Focus will only be available in 150 combinations –a 95 percent reduction from today’s car. Fewer combinations will result in lower production costs, which Ford desperately needs in this stage of its North American turnaround.
