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Ford Australia is determined that the 'Broady-built' Focus will follow the increasingly well-beaten path 'OS'.

Commodore and Camry/Aurion have already slipped on the back-pack and jetted off in the direction of Africa, Europe, Asia and the US.

Focus's market penetration will be more limited, geographically -- with Ford largely concentrating on markets in the Asia/Pacific region only.

At this stage, the locally manufactured car, due for launch in 2011, will be produced in numbers of 40,000 per year, with 15,000 allocated to RHD exports (New Zealand and South Africa) and the balance for domestic consumption.

If the next generation Focus can shift the goalposts the way the new Mondeo has (more here), selling better than 25,000 units in Australia (just over 2000 per month), should not be out of the question -- and that's in line with Tom Gorman's recent remarks that the Focus is underachieving in sales. Focus has been hindered by supply problems and that obviously would cease to be an issue with local manufacturing.

"One of the advantages of building Focus here is that we'll have the flexibility in the plant" said Sinead McAlary, Ford's Manager Public Affairs.

"If we export approximately 15,000, that leaves us with 25,000 (for domestic consumption). That's obviously just over 2000 a month, which is a base for us...so there's opportunity for growth there.

"We're only building it in right-hand drive at this stage, but significant volumes will be exported overseas and we have 'protected' for future opportunities for left-hand drive -- but again, there's no plan for that."

The 'again' referred to an earlier remark in the context of Falcon exports -- a slightly thorny issue for Ford at the present.

In essence, Ford globally sees better export potential in the Broadmeadows-built Focus than the next generation Falcon, which will continue with the Geelong-sourced inline six until 2010.

Codenamed Orion, the next Falcon will adopt the Cyclone V6 (more here) after the Geelong engine plant is closed down and will continue to be 'Orion' for some time after that, according to McAlary.

"We've got Orion to launch next year and that's the car we're going to have for a number of years. You won't see an all-new car two years after we do an all-new car.

"Orion will have its usual product cycle and we will change the powertrain and maybe do some other things in 2010."

McAlary indicated that a timeframe of 2012/13 for the Orion replacement -- as reported elsewhere -- was "speculation" and she flatly denied that the Orion replacement, whenever due, would be codenamed 'Huntsman' -- one of the online rumours that refuses to be squashed.

On the subject of recent media reports, McAlary clarified a point that had been misrepresented. In announcing the cessation of business development for LHD Orion exports, Ford had not transferred the full $100 million of state and federal government grants to Focus production.

Only part of that funding had been set aside initially for LHD Falcon exports. That element has certainly been re-allocated to local Focus production, but the balance continues to be in the budget for Ford's work on the 'T6' light commercial vehicle, which is being developed in Australia for global markets.

"Part of the funding we had received for the LHD export opportunity has been redirected to the export opportunity that comes with Focus, that we're producing here" she said.

And as for other Broadmeadows exports, McAlary said "We will still look at any opportunity that will arise, for a local product -- as in a Falcon or Territory product -- to be exported in left-hand drive, but there are no programs at this stage.

"This is something we will never say 'never' to; we will always look at any opportunity that presents itself."

Asked what it would take to get such a program up and running, she said "What we have to do is put a program together, make sure it makes business sense and then the corporation has to decide that it's the best way to invest its money.

"And the numbers of that have to stack up, which is one of the reasons why we've gone with the Focus production in Broadmeadows, because we believe the numbers we could build and export for that program are more substantial in the short to medium term."

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