Ford Unveils New Taurus Sedan for Chinese Market -- Update

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.

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