Ford announced that the European market edition of the Ford Focus that launches in 2010 will be produced exclusively at the company’s Saarlouis plant in Germany, while the new Focus C-Max MPV which goes into production next year, will be produced in Valencia, Spain. The current Focus is built in Saarlouis and Valencia while the C-Max minivanis built only in Germany. Ford goes on to add that the Valencia plant will produce the C-Max for all European markets and possibly for markets outside Europe. Both the Focus and its minivan version were previewed earlier this year at the Geneva Salon.

“Our objective is to return to sustainable profitability as soon as we can,” said John Fleming, Ford of Europe Chairman and CEO. “We’ve already shown that we will make the necessary decisions and do whatever is required to ensure that Ford of Europe emerges from the downturn as a leaner and stronger company, ready to take on the opportunities presented once the economic situation finally improves.”

Tags: C-Max MPV, European, focus, Ford, Saarlouis, spain, Valencia

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It has been decided that Audi’s new compact SUV will be called the Q3 and it will be produced at a VW Group plant in Martorell, Spain, beginning 2011. Audi will be spending more than €300 million in preparing the plant for the production of the Q3, which will have a capability of producing up to 80,000 units yearly. The Q3 is reported to be a coupe-like five-door SUV with seat positions, wheel size, and ground clearance typical of an SUV.

Its styling will be based on the 2007 Cross Coupe concept car. Both three-door and five-door variations are likely, and since it will almost certainly be based on the same PW35 platform as the Audi A3 hatch, it will likely share internals with it too. Engines will include a 147kW 2.0L TFSI engine, a 171kW 3.0L turbodiesel V6 and a 210kW 3.6L FSI V6.

Tags: 2011, Audi Q3, spain, SUV, vw group

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In a move to do away with the old and in with the new, Britain is on the threshold of devising a plan to entice local car owners to trade in their old cars for new ones. The scheme would probably involve payments of £2,000 vouchers to scrap vehicles that are more than nine years old and offer discounts on new more environment friendly cars.

The plan is designed to boost demand for new cars and help UK’s motor industry which is suffering during the recession. Austria, Portugal, Germany, Italy, Spain and France are among countries that have started such a plan.

Many British ministers are pessimistic about the proposed car scrap scheme as they believe that the plan would mainly benefit countries like Germany and France that produce many of the cars that are sold in the UK. UK car producers say that the plan could generate demand for up to 250,000 new cars.

(Source) Press TV

Tags: brainstorming, car owners, car producers, car scrap, Germany, Italy, new britain, new cars, old cars, recession, scrap plan, spain, uk car, vouchers

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