Next generation Ford Focus will be a global project

Ford will launch the next generation Focus sometime in 2010 or 2011. It will be built on the Ford’s global C1 platform.

Kuzak offered the figure for parts sharing on the Focus during a presentation at the SAE 2008 World Congress in Detroit—pointing to the car as evidence that Ford’s efforts to cut costs and globalize its engineering process are beginning to show results.

That figure compares with the redesigned Ford Fiesta, which takes 66 percent of its parts from global sources. The new Fiesta goes on sale in Europe later this year. A U.S. version of the Fiesta goes on sale next year. That car’s development didn’t use the same worldwide plans as the next Focus.

"Our business starts and stops with product," Kuzak said.

Ford has been looking to leverage its global footprint to save money and speed development time. Kuzak said Ford’s engineering costs in North American will be reduced by 30 percent through 2009 as a result of its global product-development strategy.