We know that the highest growth in demand for vehicles will be in developing countries such as China and India. In response, we are increasing our production capacity in China, India and the rest of Asia, as well as launching new products in these and other developing markets to meet consumer needs and remain competitive.
Last year, we increased our production capacity in China to 200,000 units annually at the Changan Ford plant in Chongqing. This plant produces the Mazda 3 and Volvo S40, among other vehicles. We also completed a new assembly and engine plant in conjunction with Mazda in Nanjing, China. This plant will produce 160,000 vehicles annually at the outset and could increase to 200,000 annually.
In India, we recently launched the Fusion, a small SUV, and the Fiesta sedan, with great customer feedback. In fact, Ford ranked second for Customer Satisfaction in India by J.D. Power Asia Pacific. In 2007, we will begin producing and selling the S-MAX multi-purpose vehicle and Volvo S40 in China. We have experienced rapid growth in some of these developing and revitalizing markets. Ford's share of the Turkish market increased to 17.1 percent – the fifth year in a row that the Ford brand has led the market in sales in Turkey. In Russia, sales of Ford-brand vehicles increased approximately 92 percent to 116,000 units in 2006. Our sales in the Asia Pacific region were up 9 percent in 2006, with the majority of the growth occurring in China and India. Sales in South America were up 14 percent in 2006, from 335,000 to 381,000 units sold.
This recent sales growth represents a significant achievement for the Company. At the same time, we know that our long-term success in these developing and revitalizing economies will depend on our offering new types of mobility solutions that are increasingly sustainable and tailored to the unique needs of these markets. Our sustainable mobility strategy is aimed at ensuring we do just that.
