Ford Debuts Territory SUV for China

Ford Motor Co. says it will begin selling its all-new Territory midsize SUV in China early next year.

The entry-level car, announced earlier today, was co-developed with partner Jiangling Motors Corp. Ltd. and resembles JMC’s Yusheng S330 SUV. Ford says the model will target young buyers in China’s massive but second-tier cities, a market that has fueled sales growth in recent years.

The midsize Territory will compete primarily with low-cost models from such local producers as Geely Automobile Holding and Great Wall Motor. Ford says two-thirds of China’s midsize SUV buyers live in the country’s second-tier cities, where urban populations typically total several million people.

The new Territory will offer plenty of advanced features, including connectivity, two infotainment display screens and a suite of driver-assist technologies such as adaptive cruise control, blind spot detection and active park assist.

The car uses China’s popular iFlytek technology platform, which includes Mandarin voice recognition that can understand multiple regional accents.

Ford is hoping the new model will invigorate its sales in China. The country’s overall market growth has stalled this year. But Ford’s sales slumped 30% through the first nine months of 2018 and plummeted 43% in September. The company has said it will introduce 50 new or refreshed models in China through 2025.