Ford refuses to commit on plant

The doubts have come after its regional boss refused to commit to manufacturing beyond 2016 and discounted the role of its Melbourne design operation in the brand's centrepiece at the Shanghai motor show.

Work on the show car, a four-door larger than the Focus sedan that revives the famous Escort badge, was led by the 1100-strong design and development team in Melbourne, Ford's new Asia-Pacific design director, Joel Piaskowski, said last week.

Asia-Pacific president Dave Schoch said the car was shaped by Chinese customer input and declined to credit Australia. “Our product development process is global,'' he said.

“We've got bits and pieces of it done in Europe, in Australia, in Nanjing.” However, Ford lacks a Chinese design centre and Ford Australia sent a delegation to Shanghai that claimed the design as their own.

Mr Schoch also played down the significance of reviving the Escort badge and Ford executives spoken to by The Australian were unclear whether the car would have a life outside China if it enters production. “Think of it as a concept vehicle,” Mr Schoch said.

“The Escort is well respected and we thought it would resonate with Chinese customers.'' Ford has been slow to exploit the opportunities in China compared with General Motors or Volkswagen. However, in terms of a single car, the Ford Focus was last year's bestseller in China, helping it reach No 1 on the global sales chart.

The concept car based on the Focus targets China's fondness for rear-seat amenities and preference for sedans over hatchbacks. Ford expects the Chinese vehicle market to reach 32 million by the end of the decade and plans huge expansion in the region with five new plants opening in the next few years.

But Mr Schoch refused to say whether Ford's Broadmeadows plant could continue beyond the life cycle of its Australian-made Falcon and Territory, which is due to end in three years. “We've made commitments and we're sticking to them,'' Mr Schoch said. “We have nothing to announce beyond 2016 and are still evaluating.”