Ford’s Chinese Taurus: spacious, affordable and ready to compete with its rivals
The Taurus, along with the upcoming Citroen C6 and Volkswagen Phideon, are bringing a flush of new competitors to the market
Although it’s a global powerhouse, Ford has not done so well in the Chinese market, trailing sales by Volkswagen, General Motors and even Hyundai.
In the past this was partly due to the limited range of vehicles it offered compared to competitors. The Ford Taurus is the latest addition as the carmaker attempts to build a range that covers most market segments.
Surprisingly the Ford Escort based on the last generation Focus’ platform, the company’s first attempt at a car specially designed for China, has done well particularly in lower-tier cities. Ford hopes it can get it right again with the Taurus, which despite the name bears no relation to the US model, and was specially designed for the Chinese market.
While in most countries large saloons from non premium manufacturers have gone the way of the dodo, in China they still hold impressive market sway. For many years the Buick LaCrosse pretty much had the market to itself, but the Taurus, along with the upcoming Citroen C6 and Volkswagen Phideon, are bringing a flush of competitors.
Larger and better equipped than models by the German premium brands, they also offer cheaper prices to customers who are more concerned by size than badge, meaning you can get a BMW 5 Series equivalent for 3 Series prices.
