Despite Ford’s proclamation that it is rapidly expanding in China, the company seems to falter when it comes to actually getting the job done. The most recent JD Power Sales Rankings show Ford at number 14 in China, way behind, well, everyone else. In the first two months of 2011 the company sold just 51,170 cars, while brands like Volkswagen and Hyundai sold 276,137 and 129,430 models, respectively. That’s a big gap to overcome, and unfortunately we probably won’t be seeing much progress this year.
Chinese production of the Ford Focus doesn’t start until 2012. An initial flight of 150,000 units is meant to help Ford catch rival manufacturers, but will it be too late? All signs point to yes. If Ford is already at a quarter of the sales of other major players, it doesn’t look good for the company to play catch up.
As The Truth About Cars has it:
Ford is a late-comer in China. It started in 2003, building some 20,000 Fiestas from kits. In 2006, Mazda joined the fray for a threesome. Like most threesomes, it didn’t work out. After Ford and Mazda disengaged in Japan, Ford and Mazda parted ways in China and started their own joint ventures – both with Changan. The separation is not finished yet and won’t be finished until the Chongqing plant will be operational in 2012. All this does not help.
You can’t say it any better than that.
