Ford will produce the new Fiesta in Brazil

The hatch version of the more modern version of the Fiesta, which today is manufactured in Mexico, is also produced by Ford in the plant in Sao Bernardo do Campo, in the ABC paulista. The announcement was made yesterday by the direction of the American automaker during the Detroit Auto show, where the car is on display at the booth.
The modernisation and adaptation of the unit for the production of the new car required investments of approximately r $ 800 million, in a total of r $ 4.5 billion will be destined to the country in the period from 2011 to 2015. A further r $ 500 million were intended for engines and transmissions factory in Taubaté in São Paulo State, where Ford produces the sigma engine, today used the EcoSport in Bahia and which also will equip the new car.
The Fiesta produced at Ford's plant in Bahia is today a more compact version than the new project. The start of production of the New Fiesta is scheduled for the first half, on a date to be announced by the company soon. The New Fiesta sedan version will continue to be imported from Mexico.
The initiative is in line with Ford's strategy to renew the product portfolio within the strategy of working with global platforms, named One Ford. In this line, the New Fiesta joins the EcoSport, developed and produced in Camaçari (BA), but then taken to Asia and Europe in the future.
The President of Ford, Alan Mulally--who yesterday introduced the new line of vans Transit in Detroit, had reported on Monday that the group will take to Brazilian consumers its new generation of vehicles.
Local production of the New Fiesta is a great shot of Ford to compete in the compact segment, prevalent in the Brazilian market and that goes for a quick update after the arrival of cars like the HB20, Hyundai, and Onix, from General Motors.
With sales of 21.3 thousand units last year--putting in account only the hatch-version, the direction of Ford assesses that the New Fiesta has achieved a volume that already justifies taking the car for Brazil, but does not disclose its growth forecasts after the start of local production. "It's the right product at the right time," said the President of the Brazilian subsidiary, Steven Armstrong.
When producing the Compact in Brazil, the automaker also escapes the quotas on the imports of cars from Mexico, where the New Fiesta is imported today-although Ford executives deny a relationship of investment with the revision in the automotive agreement with Mexicans at the beginning of last year.
The car is one of 18 this year promised releases actions by Armstrong in December. He said that most of the components of the New Fiesta will come from Brazil, including, in addition to the engine, transmissions.
The Fiesta is best-selling car model by Ford-or the sixth largest in the country when compare with other brands. Last year, there were 113.5 emplacadas thousand units, including the rocam engine car, which will continue to be produced in Camaçari (BA).
Already in São Bernardo, where is the headquarters of Ford in Brazil, the New Fiesta will join the production input model Ka and Courier pickup. The automaker also has a truck factory in the industrial complex.
With a more sporty design, the New Fiesta is positioned in a thread above, and also more profitable, the brother of rocam engine.
The adaptation of the paulista factory to receive the car included new presses, the expansion of body area to 310 automated machines and a new line of application of phosphate, the first layer of protection, in the sector of painting. It was adopted a new automatic application of sealing material.
Fourth-largest brand in the country, Ford accounted for 8.9% of the cars sold in Brazil in 2012, when the industry had its best performance in history, with 3.63 million cars and light commercial got their plates.