Ford Flex rolls off the line

Mark Fields, president of the Americas for Ford Motor Co., drives the all-new 2009 Ford Flex off the Oakville Assembly Plant line.

OAKVILLE, Ontario -- Ford Motor Co. officially launched it's new Ford Flex crossover here Tuesday, confirming plans to hire another 500 workers to meet demand at its Oakville Assembly Plant even as rival General Motors Corp. announced that it would idle its Canadian truck plant and three other factories in North America.

Ford wants to boost output at the Oakville plant by 18 percent to meet demand for the Flex and other crossovers produced here.

The contrast reflects what Canadian Minister of Industry Jim Prentice called "a profound structural change" in the North American automobile industry. GM's Oshawa truck plant is one of four pickup and SUV factories the automaker plans to shutter as consumer demand shifts away from trucks to cars in the face of rising fuel prices.

"(The Flex) is a response to what consumers want," Prentice said of Ford's first full-size crossover. "It reflects the market direction."

Ford also began shipping the Flex to dealers on Tuesday. While the vehicle offers three-row, seven-passenger seating and 4,500 pounds of towing capacity, it also gets 24 miles per gallon on the highway. That compares with the Ford Explorer -- a traditional sport utility vehicle that is smaller than the Flex but only gets 20 mpg.

The Flex's high mileage numbers put it on par with the best in the industry. Fuel efficiency has become one of the most important considerations for consumers as gas passes $4 a gallon, according to Ford Americas President Mark Fields.

"Customers want fuel economy, but they also want personality," Fields told The Detroit News. "The Flex gives them both of these, as well as cutting-edge technology, safety and quality. Dealers are absolutely hungry for this vehicle."

Even so, the Flex is still a lot thirstier than the small cars and hybrids that have become the darlings of cost-conscious consumers. But Ford says there are plenty of customers who need the space offered by the Flex, and those motorists would be hard-pressed to find a vehicle that offers it with better fuel economy.

But analyst Erich Merkle of IRN Inc. said the ultimate success of the Flex depends on fuel prices.

"There are people that will definitely need that utility, and it is a very fuel efficient vehicle relative to the number of people it seats," he said. "But if gas hits $5 a gallon, people are going to be willing to make more sacrifices. The Flex is right there on the threshold."

Even some large families have a limit as to how much they're willing to spend for gas.

That's one reason Ford is building the Flex in Oakville.

The plant is one of Ford's most flexible manufacturing facilities in North America, and the Flex is being built on the same line as the already popular Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX crossovers -- though it shares few common parts and is built on an entirely different platform.

Plant Manager Ken Minielly said the Flex accounts for about 30 percent of Oakville's production. Minielly expects that number to increase to about 40 percent in the next few weeks. But he said building all three vehicles on the same line will allow Ford to balance the factory's output to match sales.

"Plants like Oakville can adapt to shifts in consumer demand much more easily," said Joe Hinrichs, Ford's global manufacturing chief. "Oakville is a good example of how Ford is moving to more flexible manufacturing."

Factory workers like Harry Carleton, a 40-year veteran, say the new approach to manufacturing "just makes sense." He has seen entire product segments -- like the minivan -- come and go.

"I feel better working in this plant now," he said.

Fields praised Oakville's workers for making the launch on time and hitting all of the company's quality goals for the new vehicle. Ford brought hockey legend and Canadian superhero Wayne Gretzky to the plant Tuesday to talk to them about the importance of teamwork.

"There's a lot of sweat-equity in this," Fields said. "You should all feel real proud."

Bob Chernecki, second in command at the Canadian Auto Workers, said his members are making good on their commitment to Ford. But he also called on the government of Canada to do more to level the playing field globally.

[Source : Detroit News]