Ford And Mazda To Invest US$350 Million In AutoAlliance Thailand

[russellw]

Ford And Mazda To Invest US$350 Million In AutoAlliance Thailand to Build Next Generation Compact Pickup Truck

• Ford and Mazda will invest US$350 million in the compact pickup plant at the joint venture AutoAlliance Thailand facility in Rayong, Thailand.
• The new joint investment will support production of Mazda and Ford’s next generation compact pickup trucks, and reaffirms the on-going strategic relationship between Ford and Mazda.
• The upgraded AAT pickup facility is scheduled to begin manufacturing Mazda and Ford’s next generation compact pickups in mid-2011.

Ford Motor Company and Mazda Motor Corporation will invest US$350 million in their AutoAlliance Thailand (AAT) joint venture to support the production of next generation pickup trucks.

The investment will enable production of the new Mazda and Ford compact pickups to commence in mid-2011.

The US$350 million investment reinforces Ford and Mazda’s long-term joint commitment to Thailand. The investment will support facility upgrades and supplier tooling for the production of Mazda and Ford’s next generation compact pickup trucks. Once completed, this will increase Mazda and Ford’s total joint investment in the AutoAlliance Thailand facility to more than US$1.85 billion since operations began in 1995.

“Today’s investment announcement marks another important step forward in AAT’s development as a state-of-the-art manufacturing hub,” said Toshinori Kusuhashi, president, AutoAlliance Thailand. "Through the ongoing support of the Thai government, Thailand’s automotive industry has continued to grow and become more efficient, enabling AAT to build and export world-class pickup trucks and cars. This new investment will enable us to continue to enhance the one-ton pickup’s reputation as product champion of Thailand’s automotive industry.”

The investment program will also dedicate resources to workforce training and development to ensure that AAT employees have the skills required to meet the high standards the new compact pickup truck program will require.

"This new investment in AAT reinforces Ford Motor Company's long-term commitment to Thailand as a strategic manufacturing base for our global operations," said Joe Hinrichs, President of Ford Motor Company, Asia Pacific and Africa. "The new production line, with the support of the hard working employees at AAT, and the continued commitment of our Thai suppliers, will raise the bar in flexibility, efficiency, quality and environmentally-friendly production at AAT.”

AutoAlliance Thailand, already one of the most modern automotive manufacturing facilities in Thailand, has helped to set the standard for automotive manufacturing in the ASEAN region through its ongoing commitment to world-class quality, standards and cost-competitiveness.

“The new investment means that AAT will continue to be a global centre of excellence for the production of both brands’ compact pickup trucks, and play an important role in Mazda’s global strategy,” said Masaharu Yamaki, Mazda’s representative director, executive vice president, assistant to the president, with oversight of R&D, Production, Purchasing and Quality.

AAT successfully exports Ford and Mazda pickup trucks to more than 130 markets around the world. In July 2007, AutoAlliance Thailand celebrated one million units of production since the facility began manufacturing vehicles in 1998. A new state-of-the-art passenger car plant was opened in July 2009 and is currently producing the Mazda2 and Ford Fiesta for sale in Thailand as well as for export to ASEAN and other markets.

Source: Ford Media

[Road_Warrior]

Mid 2011 for the T6 hitting the market. I take it this plant will supply the entire APAC with the T6?

[Nikked]

*like button

[vztrt]

Mazda, Ford to build T6-based utes from mid-2011

http://www.goauto.com.au/mellor/mell...25778C0003C16B

Mazda and Ford confirm mid-2011 Thai production of Aussie-developed utilities
27 August 2010
By TERRY MARTIN
MAZDA and Ford have committed $US350 million ($A394m) toward shared production facilities in Thailand for each brand to build a version of the new-generation, Australian-developed one-tonne utility, codenamed T6, from next year.

To replace the Ranger and BT-50 utes, the T6 versions again will be built under Mazda and Ford’s AutoAlliance (Thailand) joint-venture where the two companies this week confirmed production would start in mid-2011.

Pre-production versions of the T6 have been spotted testing in Victoria several times this month, while the final product is expected to be shown on Ford’s stand at the Australian International Motor Show in Sydney in October.

In a joint statement, Mazda and Ford said the new investment would support production of the new-generation compact pick-up trucks “and reaffirms the ongoing strategic relationship between Ford and Mazda”.

The companies said the investment would support facility upgrades and supplier tooling for both vehicles, and that, once completed, Mazda and Ford’s total joint investment in the AAT facility would exceed $US1.85 billion since operations began in 1995.

AAT president Toshinori Kusuhashi said: “Today’s investment announcement marks another important step forward in AAT’s development as a state-of-the-art manufacturing hub.

“Through the ongoing support of the Thai government, Thailand’s automotive industry has continued to grow and become more efficient, enabling AAT to build and export world-class pick-up trucks and cars.

“This new investment will enable us to continue to enhance the one-tonne pick-up’s reputation as product champion of Thailand’s automotive industry.”

Ford’s Asia Pacific and Africa president Joe Hinrichs said: “This new investment in AAT reinforces Ford Motor Company’s long-term commitment to Thailand as a strategic manufacturing base for our global operations.”

Mazda’s representative director Masaharu Yamaki added: “The new investment means that AAT will continue to be a global centre of excellence for the production of both brands’ compact pick-up trucks, and play an important role in Mazda’s global strategy.”

As well as the current Ranger and BT-50 utilities sold in Australia, the AAT joint-venture has brought to Thailand production of the Mazda2 and, from October, the facelifted Ford Fiesta.

The next-generation Ford Focus and the related Mazda3 small cars sold in Australia are also expected to be built in Thailand from 2012, with the announcement last month that Ford would invest $US450 million to construct a state-of-the-art manufacturing plant to produce the Focus in Thailand.

As GoAuto has reported, the new passenger car plant will have initial production capacity of 150,000 vehicles, with 85 per cent of production destined for markets outside Thailand.

The T6 utility has been designed and engineered by Ford at its regional product development centre at Ford Australia headquarters in Broadmeadows, north of Melbourne.

It will also spawn a range of variants, not just across the utility series but in related vehicles, including a hardcore separate-chassis SUV – a model which is already in development in Australia.

[vztrt]

http://www.autoblog.com/2010/08/26/r...close-minneso/

Report: Despite meeting with governor, Ford set to close Minnesota Ranger plant

by Chris Paukert (RSS feed) on Aug 26th 2010 at 1:30PM

According to The Detroit News, Ford officials met with Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty yesterday to discuss the future of the automaker's St. Paul assembly plant. The facility, which builds Ford's Ranger compact pickup has been earmarked for closure for some time, but despite the roundtable session, the Blue Oval says it still plans to shutter its operations.

Pawlenty's administration had been hoping that the signing of a new state law in April allowing the government to offer Ford a series of tax breaks would be enough to keep the Twin Cities operations open, but apparently it wasn't enough – the plant will close, although an end-date remains uncertain.

Closing the plant will also close the book on the aging Ranger, though Ford has confirmed that the model name will live on with other, larger models in foreign markets. Thus far, rumors of a new North American Ranger (and even an on-air slip by Ford president Alan Mulally) have amounted to nothing, and with Ford committed introducing more economical engines to its F-150 full-size pickup, it appears highly unlikely that a U.S. Ranger will receive an encore any time soon.

[Source: The Detroit News]

[dannyhilton]

I'm quite surprised that Mazda are continuing their variation of the Ranger, with their more-premium image these days, I'd have figured they would drop the ute in favor of another SUV type vehicle or sports car. And the Mazda 3 to be built in Thailand too, the new Focus will have to be good as the Mazda 3 is overpriced as is, but still sells by the bucket loads, so imagine what a free-trade agreement could mean for pricing.

Very good news for Ford though. With the Fiesta, Ranger and Focus all having access to Thailand and Australias free trade agreement this will hopefully mean more kit for our cars and cheaper pricing. Some reports have suggested built quality of Thai Fiestas however aren't too flash, but we'll have to wait and see. I remember reports suggesting Thailand would built our Focus (which currently comes from South Africa) and South Africa would build the new Ranger (currently built in Thailand) but things have changed.