Ford Puma Production Kicks Off in Romania
Photo: Ford Motor Company
Production on the new Ford Puma kicked off this month at the automaker’s manufacturing facility in Craiova, Romania. Slated to hit the streets of Europe in the weeks ahead, the Puma — with its 48-volt hybrid EcoBoost powertrain — is one of eight electrified vehicles Ford will launch in 2019.
“New Puma represents the next chapter in Ford’s human centric design philosophy that is elevating the quality, technology-rich and fun-to-drive DNA of the Ford brand in Europe,” said Stuart Rowley, president, Ford of Europe. “I have no doubt that Puma will be a huge success across Europe.”
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To support production of the Puma, the Romanian plant added 1,700 employees on the back of a US$222.5 million investment. Over the past 11 years, Ford has pumped over US$1.67 billion into the Craiova plant to make it a state-of-the-art manufacturing hub. The Ford EcoSport and 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine are also built at Craiova, which employs a total of around 6,000 people. The Puma is the first hybrid vehicle built in Romania.
The new Puma debuted earlier this year, boasting an exciting aesthetic, best-in-class cargo space, and impressive efficiency. Among the key features offered with the Puma are the Ford MegaBox, which offers up to 16.1 cubic feet of storage space, and segment-first lumbar massage seats.
Ford will offer several high-end variants of the new Puma, including the Puma ST-Line and Puma Titanium X. It’s rumored that the Puma will eventually make its way to the United States, but Ford has given no indication that it will be offered outside of Europe.
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