Highlights of Ford's "Moving Forward" Product Plans

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Dearborn MI July 24, 2008; Poornima Gupta writing for Reuters eported that Ford announced a number of product initiatives on Thursday to realign its vehicle line-up as the company posted a record $8.7 billion second-quarter loss.

Following are the highlights of the plan.

* Add six European small vehicles to North American line-up by 2012.

* Retool three large truck and SUV plants to build small cars. Retooling begins in December.

* Hybrid vehicle production and lineup to double in 2009

* To double North American capacity for four-cylinder engines by 2011

* Next generation Ford Explorer to be car-based and have 25 percent better fuel economy.

* To expand production of its new EcoBoost engines, which provide better fuel economy and reduced emissions through use of direct fuel injection and turbochargers.

* Lincoln and Mercury to be integral part of North American brand portfolio.

* Ford's truck plant in Wayne, Michigan, to be converted beginning this December to production of small cars in 2010.

* Production of Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator -- now built in Wayne -- to move to the truck plant in Louisville, Kentucky, early next year.

* Cuautitlan assembly plant in Mexico, which currently produces F-Series pickups, to begin production of the new Fiesta small car in early 2010.

* Louisville assembly plant, which builds the Ford Explorer SUV, to produce small cars beginning in 2011.

* Ford's assembly plant in Twin Cities, Minnesota -- scheduled to close in 2009 -- to continue production of the Ford Ranger through 2011 to meet demand for compact pickup trucks.

* Kansas City assembly plant to add a third shift to build the Ford Escape, Escape Hybrid and Mercury Mariner and Mariner Hybrid.

Editing for Reuters by Carol Bishopric