By Carlos Tejada
SHANGHAI-- Ford Motor Co. on Saturday unveiled a new Taurus
sedan aimed at affluent Chinese customers, in its latest effort to
stand out in a slowing and increasingly competitive market.
The Dearborn, Mich., auto maker made the Taurus the centerpiece
of four vehicles it unveiled two days ahead of the Shanghai auto
show. Ford said it styled the new vehicle with business customers
in mind, complete with back seat features including reclining seats
and more legroom--key features for a country where some car owners
prefer to be driven rather than drive themselves.
The product is aimed at the high end of the nonluxury market,
said Trevor Worthington, Ford's vice president for product
development for Asia Pacific. He said the car's features were
benchmarked against premium models. "We have the space, the
prestige, the daqi, that business customers are looking for," said
Mr. Worthington, using a Chinese term that means expansive or
deluxe.
The new vehicles come as Ford, like other auto makers, looks for
growth in an increasingly tough market. Ford's first-quarter sales
in China grew 9% compared with a year earlier to 296,825
vehicles--strong numbers in other markets but well below Ford's
previous double-digit growth rates in China. March sales rose only
1% to 104,842 vehicles. Other auto makers have also reported slower
sales growth as China's rate of economic expansion slows and new
car models enter the market.
Ford said the Taurus would be made along with the Ford Edge
sport-utility vehicle at its new factory in the Chinese city of
Hangzhou.
The 2.7-liter Taurus was one of four models Ford showed Saturday
as part of its expansion plans for China. Ford's main passenger-car
partner in China is Chongqing Changan Automobile Co., with whom it
makes cars there under a joint venture.
Write to Carlos Tejada at carlos.tejada@wsj.com
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