Ford of Europe Says SUVs Are Key to Profitability

Ford of Europe believes its expanding lineup of SUVs will be a key in restoring the unit's profitability by the end of 2015.

Roelant de Waard, who heads Ford sales for the region, tells Automotive News Europe that many SUVs sell for at least €40,000 more than twice the overall average for new vehicles sold in Europe.

De Waard says Ford expects to nearly triple annual sales in Europe of its small Kuga SUV to almost 300,000 units by 2018.

The company launched a big product expansion in Europe two years ago that includes the B-segment EcoSport SUV being introduced in the region now. The company also plans to launch its second-generation Edge midsize crossover in Europe in 2015. The Edge will share its platform with the Galaxy and S-Max MPVs.