Ford To Build New SUV In Missouri

Ford Motor Co. will start producing a new, compact sport-utility in the year 2000 at its suburban Kansas City assembly plant.

Jac Nasser, Ford automotive operations president, told a news conference Wednesday that the still unnamed product will be a five-passenger vehicle suited for urban traffic.

"The new vehicle will appeal to young buyers and the young at heart who want agile, sporty, durable transportation," he said.

The new vehicle is to be launched for the 2001 model year.

Nasser said Ford's Claycomo plant was selected chiefly because of the high productivity of the plant's 5,200 employees. Last year, the plant produced 419,595 cars and F-Series light pickups trucks, more than any Ford assembly plant in North America.

The new vehicle joins Ford's existing line of sport utility vehicles: the Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator, and the smaller Ford Explorer and Mercury Mountaineer.

Production of the Contour and Mystique passenger cars, Ford's so-called "world cars," will eventually be consolidated at a Ford plant outside Mexico City. Sales of those cars in the United States has been disappointing.

The Claycomo plant will expand by about 122,000 square feet for production of the new sport utility vehicle. However, Nasser said it was uncertain if any jobs will be added at the plant.

Nasser declined to confirm published reports that Ford plans to spend between $100 million and $600 million to expand and retool the plant, but he said it would be higher than $100 million.

Ford has shut down its passenger-car line in Claycomo at various times the last three years because of slow sales of the Contour-Mystique. The car line is currently shut down through this week, but is expected to be back up next week.

Written By Dana Fields