Ford Otosan begins mass production of the new generation Ford Courier

Ford Otosan has rolled the new generation Ford Transit Courier and Tourneo Courier, for which it holds engineering and production responsibility, off the line at a ceremony held at its Craiova plant in Romania.

According to the company's statement, the ceremony, hosted by Ford Otosan Leader Güven Özyurt, Ford Otosan Leader Josephine Payne, and Ford Otosan Craiova President Müjdat Tiryaki, was attended by Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, Koç Holding CEO Levent Çakıroğlu, Koç Holding Automotive Group President Haydar Yenigün, as well as numerous government officials, industry representatives, and prominent figures from the business world.

In the statement, which included his speech at the ceremony, Ford Otosan Leader Güven Özyurt emphasized that the global production responsibility for the Courier, which bears the Ford Otosan signature at every stage from design to production, has been entrusted to Ford Otosan for nearly a decade.

Özyurt noted the following:

'The Courier has made a significant contribution to our position as the leader in commercial vehicles as an ideal combination of superior performance and functional design. I am now filled with great pride and joy that it is the first vehicle we have rolled off the production line at our Craiova plant. Craiova's state-of-the-art production capabilities are complemented by Ford Otosan's extensive experience in commercial vehicle design, engineering, and production. The investments we have made in the new generation Courier product family are a testament to our faith in Craiova and the country. While I wish for the continued success of the Transit Courier and Tourneo Courier, I have full faith that they will reach new milestones and break new records.'

Koç Holding CEO Levent Çakıroğlu also emphasized that they are strengthening their position in international markets with their group companies, noting that they have more than 90 production and sales companies in different countries around the world.

Drawing attention to the importance of Romania in the Koç Group's global growth vision, Çakıroğlu announced that they have invested 175 million dollars in the country over the last 5 years.

Touching upon the place of the Craiova plant within these investments, Çakıroğlu commented, 'The Courier, which is an important turning point in Ford Otosan's success, has also accelerated the ability to take on greater responsibilities in terms of product development and design within the Ford world. I believe that the new generation Courier will be very successful at the Craiova plant, which has become a facility that truly reflects the spirit of Ford Otosan, and that it will soon become the leader of its segment.'

FORD OTOSAN IS THE ONLY PRODUCTION HUB FOR THE COURIER SERIES IN THE WORLD

Ford Otosan remains the only production center in the world for the Ford Courier series, which it first rolled off the line at its Yeniköy plant in 2014. As part of the company's investment strategy, the production of the Courier was moved from Yeniköy to the Craiova plant in Romania.

In July of last year, Ford Otosan announced that it would invest 490 million euros to support the production of the new generation Courier series, which it will produce in fully electric versions alongside the Puma, at the Craiova plant. With the investment, the plant's capacity will increase from 250 thousand vehicles to 272 thousand vehicles per year. Ford Otosan also conducted a major recruitment campaign, creating 1,300 new jobs to support production needs at the Craiova plant.

The fully electric and connected version of the Courier series, which Ford Otosan designed together with Ford teams in Dunton and Cologne and for which it holds all engineering and production responsibility, will also be produced at the Craiova plant and will meet customers in 2024. The E-Transit Courier will be an important milestone in achieving Ford Otosan's goal of having a fully electric light and medium commercial vehicle portfolio by 2035.