Photo: Ford
Earlier this week, American manufacturer Ford announced the introduction of the Territory in China, a locally-built SUV with which it hopes to finally see some degree of success on the world’s largest automotive market.
The Territory is wearing the same name badge as an SUV being sold at one point in Australia. Despite all this, says the carmaker, the new car “is not derived from a Ford product elsewhere.”
The SUV gets its power from a choice of powertrains that includes a gasoline engine, a 48V mild hybrid with Miller-Cycle technology, and a plug-in hybrid. The carmaker did not say whether it had anything to do with the development of the powertrains.
What it did say is that the American touch on the car, which resembles Yusheng S330, an SUV built in China by Ford’s local partner, Jiangling, can be seen when it comes to the suspension, grille and LED lamps.
The SUV will come equipped with Ford’s Co-Pilot360 driver assistance technologies, Infotainment system with Mandarin voice-command function and FordPass Connect embedded modem.
“The Territory is a breakthrough for Ford in China in terms of our ability to successfully compete with Chinese automakers for millions of customers that we do not currently serve,” said in a statement Peter Fleet, Ford China CEO.
“We brought Territory to market with speed, high quality, and cost efficiency. It will be affordable for young families and new buyers across China, not just the coastal mega-cities.”
Traditionally, Ford has not been on top of the shopping list for Chinese people in the market for a new car. For years the carmaker has seen declining numbers in the country, the most recent being the over 30 percent drop reported for the second quarter of the year.
This is a situation Ford can no longer tolerate. As per a report by McKinsey’s China, the local midsize SUV segment grew annually by an average of 38 percent, hence the need to tap into this growing segment.
The Territory comes in 2019 as a first step towards redressing the situation for Ford. Despite its launch, however, the carmaker still doesn’t seem to have a strategy as clear for China as the ones of the German manufacturers, for instance.
The SUV gets its power from a choice of powertrains that includes a gasoline engine, a 48V mild hybrid with Miller-Cycle technology, and a plug-in hybrid. The carmaker did not say whether it had anything to do with the development of the powertrains.
What it did say is that the American touch on the car, which resembles Yusheng S330, an SUV built in China by Ford’s local partner, Jiangling, can be seen when it comes to the suspension, grille and LED lamps.
The SUV will come equipped with Ford’s Co-Pilot360 driver assistance technologies, Infotainment system with Mandarin voice-command function and FordPass Connect embedded modem.
“The Territory is a breakthrough for Ford in China in terms of our ability to successfully compete with Chinese automakers for millions of customers that we do not currently serve,” said in a statement Peter Fleet, Ford China CEO.
“We brought Territory to market with speed, high quality, and cost efficiency. It will be affordable for young families and new buyers across China, not just the coastal mega-cities.”
Traditionally, Ford has not been on top of the shopping list for Chinese people in the market for a new car. For years the carmaker has seen declining numbers in the country, the most recent being the over 30 percent drop reported for the second quarter of the year.
This is a situation Ford can no longer tolerate. As per a report by McKinsey’s China, the local midsize SUV segment grew annually by an average of 38 percent, hence the need to tap into this growing segment.
The Territory comes in 2019 as a first step towards redressing the situation for Ford. Despite its launch, however, the carmaker still doesn’t seem to have a strategy as clear for China as the ones of the German manufacturers, for instance.
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