Car maker Ford has chosen to produce its EcoSport mini SUV for the European market in India, at its Chennai factory, instead of Romania, as was previously rumored. However, according to Romanian media quoting market sources, the Romanian factory may still be taken into account for the transfer of production for the EcoSport model, sometime in the future.

Romania is currently competing with countries like India, where Ford will produce its model, or Morocco, where the other local car, Dacia Renault, produces the Dacia Lodgy model.

Ford took over the bulk of shares in Automobile Craiova in 2007, in a deal worth some EUR 730 million, of which EUR 57 million was paid for the shares and the rest to be directed to investments.

Ford started producing the B-Max model in Romania last year, and according to previous statements, it expects to reach full peak capacity at its factory in Romania in 2015. Previously, Ford produced Ford Transit cars in Romania, until pushing the new B-Max on the production line. The new EcoSport model is being showcased at the ongoing Geneva Car Show.

Automobile Dacia and Ford Romania together produced a little over 320,000 cars in 2012 in Romania, up 5 percent on the previous year, according to data from the Association of Car producers and Importers (APIA). This was the highest level achieved by the local car industry so far. Last year, Ford started producing B-Max models at its factory in Craiova, with over 30,000 cars assembled locally.

editor@romania-insider.com

(photo source: Ford)