BEIJING -- Ford's China strategy is based on four new SUVs, as that segment gains traction in the world's largest auto market, and it will build at least two of them locally, executives said at the Beijing auto show.
The Dearborn-based automaker wants members of China's growing middle class to think of Ford when they are shopping for their first utility vehicle.
Ford built its North American profits before the downturn of 2008-09 on trucks and SUVs, but has worked to rebuild its car lineup to get Americans to think of the company as a passenger car and truck manufacturer.
Ford plans to introduce 15 vehicles for China by 2015. The emphasis on utility vehicles aims to tap into a segment that Ford projects will grow by more than 10% annually. The vehicles accommodate families and are engineered to navigate poor, rugged roads in China's rural areas.