Ford to bring six small cars from Europe to USA

FORD just reported earnings this Thursday morning, along with the following statements from a news article ...
'The company also announced that it will bring six European small car models to North America by the end of 2012 as it deals with a market shift from trucks to cars ... will retool two more U.S. truck and sport utility vehicle plants to build small, fuel-efficient vehicles.

Ford said it will retool the Michigan Truck plant in suburban Detroit, shifting its products from large SUVs to make global vehicles off the European Focus platform by 2010.

The company also will retool the Louisville Assembly Plant, which now builds the Ford Explorer midsize SUV, to produce vehicles on the European Focus frame, starting in 2011.

Ford posts $8.7B 2Q loss on asset write-downs: Financial News - Yahoo! Finance
(Since this news is "just in," more will become available as the day goes on - please post as much additional information and links on this thread as you like. Hopefully, they will announce something about a new small car hybrid)
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The article has since been updated ... "The company identified only three of the European small vehicles it will bring to North America: the Transit Connect small van, the European Focus and the subcompact Fiesta. Most will be built in North America, and Leclair said some might be exported. Ford already has announced that the Transit Connect will be imported from Turkey.
Ford said the other three vehicles would be identified later, including one that is unique within its segment."

Focus:


Fiesta:


Transit Connect:

 

More info:
"Ford is trying to save itself by quickly morphing from a truck company into a car company. But the help from Europe won't arrive until 2010: It takes time to retool U.S. plants, and importing the cars directly is too costly."
"You have the gap before the plan can be fully executed," said Jeff Schuster, executive director of global forecasting for J.D. Power and Associates. "You kind of have to weather the conditions, and you have to weather the fact that you're still the old company in transition."
Most of the European models will be built in North America. The Fiesta subcompact will be built in Mexico, the European Focus will be built in Kentucky and Michigan, and the Transit Connect small van will be imported from Turkey."
Ford won't identify the other three. But analysts are betting on the Kuga, a small crossover vehicle, and the C-Max small van, both of built on the same underpinnings as the European Focus. Bleeding cash, Ford looks to Europe for help: Financial News - Yahoo! Finance

Ford Kuga:

 

Also, since crossovers are built to withstand offroading (like SUVs), their steel frame chassis and body frames and suspensions are inherently much heavier.