We've known that after Mulally was appointed Grand Poo-bah of FoMoCo, one of the first items on his to-do list was to commonize the auto maker's lineup in Europe and America in an effort to cut production costs. The cry from those of us in the States, deriding Ford's execs for depriving us of the auto maker's European offerings has been far and wide, and according to Automotive News, the movement is underfoot. Let the breath holding begin.The auto-industry pub cites suppliers and "industry sources" as saying that Ford will be importing the C1 platform to the U.S. in the form of the new Focus and Escape, along with the C-Max and a Lincoln crossover. Expect the new Focus and C-Max to make it to our shores by 2011, while the Escape replacement and Lincoln's crossover - likely to be inspired by the European Kuga - to come by 2012.
Even better for N.A. autoworkers, Ford plans to build these newest offerings in the Wayne, Michigan and Kansas City plant, with a possibility of also employing the Cuautitlan, Mexico line.
Although we've heard these rumblings before, and have been left with such disappointments as the '08 Focus, we're feeling a bit more confident about this latest report. The timeframe seems entirely plausible, but until it happens we'll be looking cautiously into the future.
[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]
