Ford Ranger Coming to China in 2018
Ford recently introduced its F-150 Raptor performance truck to the Chinese marketplace for the first time in company history, and now it is following suit by promising the arrival of the Ranger mid-size pickup truck next year.
Ford will discuss its plans to capitalize on what it sees as growth opportunities in China’s emerging pickup truck market on Saturday at a special event—“Go Further, China”—taking place in Shanghai. Ford will, at this same event, also be discussing specific components of its electrified vehicle strategy, which was yesterday revealed to include a new Mondeo Energi plug-in hybrid and fully-electric SUV.
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It would not be unlikely for Ford to intermingle these two areas of interest and confirm the Ford F-150 Hybrid, already announced for the US market, for China on Saturday. China is the world’s fourth largest truck market, seeing growth of 14% in 2016. According to Ford’s market research, Chinese customers have become increasingly interested in pickup trucks due to depictions in media and the understanding that contemporary models are more comfortable and technologically savvy than the rugged, spartan trucks of old.
“We see an opportunity to satisfy unmet need in China—for world-class, stylish, and refined pickups—and also to be a pioneer in this emerging segment,” said Dave Schoch, president of Ford Asia Pacific and CEO, Ford China. “Built Ford Tough is a proven brand, dating back to 1976, and we believe it has the opportunity to resonate powerfully with Chinese consumers.”
“We see a significant white-space opportunity with Chinese buyers increasingly looking for more capable, more refined and more stylish pickups,” added Ford President and CEO Mark Fields, who will be speaking at tomorrow’s special event.
A Ford spokeswoman told Automotive News that the automaker will be importing the Ranger to China in 2018, and that there are no plans to build it locally.
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News Source: Automotive News (subscription required)
Kyle S. Johnson lives in Cincinnati, a city known by many as “the Cincinnati of Southwest Ohio.” He enjoys professional wrestling, Halloween, and also other things. He has been writing for a while, and he plans to continue to write well into the future. See more articles by Kyle.