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2015 F-150 kick-starts Ford sales

The F-150 had a middling year in 2014, and its sales dipped slightly as Ford transitioned to producing the all-new truck with an aluminum body. But with one factory humming, another on the way and a fuller stock of trucks, 2015 is already shaping up to be a different story. The F-Series posted a 17-percent leap in January, helping to push Ford sales to a 15-percent gain for the month. The F-Series had its best January performance in 11 years with sales of 54,370 trucks last month. Much of this strength comes from the new generation of the F-150. While many of the old model are still being sold off, Ford is rolling out the new version. Just five percent of the F-150's retail sales were the new truck in December, but it was up to 18 percent in January. The increase comes as the first factory that makes the truck, Ford's Dearborn facility, is fully back online. The other F-150 factory, in Kansas City, is still completing its changeover to build the aluminum-bodied truck, and that's expected to be finished in the first quarter of this year. Sales of the truck will still be "tempered a bit" until the Kansas City plant ramps up, Ford sales analyst Erich Merkle said. Ford expects to have a full inventory of F-150s by mid-year. To that end, the company announced plans on Wednesday to add 1,550 jobs to support the F-150, including 900 positions at the Kansas City factory. The remaining jobs will be spread out over sites in metro Detroit. The Dearborn and Kansas City factories collectively will be able to build more than 700,000 F-150s annually. The added headcount also means Ford has reached the maximum number of entry-level workers allowed under its pact with the United Auto Workers. About 300 to 500 employees at several plants in the Midwest will transition to a higher pay rate, and their wages will rise from $19.28 an hour to $28.50 an hour. The F-Series was Ford's hottest seller in January, moving off lots in an average of 12 days. The high-end models, the King Ranch and the Platinum versions, are moving slightly quicker. The average transaction price is also up $2,100 for the F-150 compared to January 2014. "We're really pleased with how the new one is doing on dealer lots," Merkle said. A larger stock of F-150s will allow Ford and its rivals to capitalize on low fuel prices, which have slowed consumers' interest in smaller vehicles.

Monsoon rains disrupt production for Ford, BMW in India

Even modern production techniques can be stymied by Mother Nature. This was demonstrated most recently in India, as torrential, monsoon rains caused a deluge that forced multiple automakers to suspend production. Ford, Renault, and BMW all halted work at their Indian facilities around the southern city of Chennai, also known as Madras. The annual rains disrupted public transport around the city, preventing employees from making the trek into city's factories. According to Automotive News, Chennai saw 48 inches of precipitation last month alone, which is more than Seattle, WA saw in all of 2014. While Ford and BMW closed things down for all of December 1, Renault just cancelled a pair of shifts at its Chennai factory. This is the second time in the past month that automakers in southeast India have been forced to stop production due to severe flooding, and things aren't likely to improve. According to The Weather Channel, forecasts call for thunderstorms over five of the next seven days, while the chance of rain won't fall below 80 percent until December 8. Ford, Renault, and BMW are far from the only automakers that could stand to be impacted by the rains. The city has been nicknamed "The Detroit of India" for its extreme automotive presence. Daimler, Hindustan, Hyundai, Mitsubishi, and Nissan all own factories in the region. News Source: Automotive News - sub. req.Image Credit: STR / AFP / Getty Images Plants/Manufacturing BMW Ford Renault

Ford Ranger-based 7-seat SUV spotted testing

Ford looks to be working on a new SUV version of its global Ranger pickup truck. An early prototype of a seven-passenger SUV based on the Ranger has been spotted testing in Australia, and word has it buyers in the region could expect to see the model in showrooms as soon as 2014, where it could sail under the Endeavour or Everest badges. Ford Australia currently sells the Territory SUV, so there's some chance that this model could be a successor to that throne, as well.
Whatever it's called, the long-roof Ranger will feature a shorter wheelbase and more ground clearance than its pickup twin, giving the machine a bit more off-road functionality. (And here we thought we couldn't want the global Ranger any more than we already do.) While this particular vehicle sports a Territory back half grafted onto a Ranger front end, odds are a public reveal of the finished product could occur as soon as the second half of 2014, making it a 2015 model. Head over to Carsguide.com.au for a closer look.