Ford will increase Focus output by 30%

DEARBORN, Mich. (AP) — Ford Motor Co. says it will increase production of its Focus small car by 30 percent this year to meet higher demand.

Focus sales are up 23 percent through March compared with the first quarter of last year. The redesigned car is taking 7.6 percent of the U.S. small-car market.

Dearborn-based Ford said Tuesday it will raise production to build 245,000 of the cars this year versus 191,000 in 2007. The car is made at the company’s stamping and assembly complex in the Detroit suburb of Wayne.

The Focus can get up to 35 miles per gallon on the highway. Its increased sales are part of a market that is shifting toward smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles.