A Ford worker walks past the new Ford Ka car lined up at Ford's plant in Sao Bernardo do Campo, on the outskirts of Sao Paulo, December 13, 2007. Ford is about to alter its focus drastically and build more small cars, the New York Times said on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the plans. REUTERS/Paulo Whitaker

BANGALORE (Reuters) - U.S. car company Ford is about to alter its focus drastically and build more small cars, the New York Times said on Tuesday, citing people familiar with the plans.

Ford will make the announcement on Thursday, when it releases quarterly results, the newspaper said.

The company is expected to announce that it will convert three of its North American assembly plants from trucks to cars, according to the sources, the paper said.

Ford will realign factories to make more fuel-efficient engines and produce six of its next European car models for the United States market, it added.

The company will also make its Mercury brand an integral part of its new small-car strategy, the newspaper said, citing the sources, who did not want to be named because of the timing of the official announcement on Thursday.

A Ford spokesman did not return a telephone call seeking comment.