OREANDA-NEWS. February 12, 2015.  Ford Sollers Holding in 2015 may reduce the production at the plant in Vsevolozhsk 1.8 times compared with the last year - up to 17 thousand cars, the sources familiar with the company's production plans informed the agency "RIA Novosti". 

Ford Sollers plant in Vsevolozhsk produces Ford Focus models in three body types and sedan Ford Mondeo. For 2014 it was produced approximately 30 thousand of these cars. Thus, in the current year it can occur almost twofold decrease in production. Among 17 million vehicles that are scheduled to be produced this year, 12 thousand are Focus cars, and even 5000 - for Mondeo. The potential capacity of the plant – is about 160 thousand cars per a year, says the agency "Prime".

According to the presentation by the sales and marketing plans of Ford Sollers for the first half of 2015, for the first quarter of the holding the company plans to produce 3,974 Ford Focus cars. Therewith, it is not planned to produce Focus at all in the second quarter – it will be announced the idle at the plant, and the third it will be started the production of a new generation model. The detailed plans for the production of Ford Mondeo are unknown. We only know that on February 19th at the Vsevolozhsk plant it should begin the production of a new generation of this car. The decision about the idle of the production at plants of company and other measures of optimization will be taken in the nearest board of directors (its date is unknown). According to sources, the production of 17,000 Focus / Mondeo this year – is not the worst-case scenario for the Group.

So, Ford Sollers in the first half of the year expects to sell in Russia about 17.7 thousand cars that commensurate the drop in sales by 44% in annual terms. In general, the Russian car market this year, according to the company's forecast, will decline by 40% to 1.5 million vehicles, while in the first quarter Ford Sollers expected the market decline by 50-60%. And in 2016, the company expects sales growth by 22% - up to 1.9 million vehicles.