A 2015 red Ford Taurus sedan is seen in the showroom at the Suburban Ford dealership in Sterling Heights, Michigan, Feb. 6, 2015. (Photo : REUTERS)
The Shanghai auto show beginning April 20 will showcase seven Ford Motor Co.'s vehicle models, including its flagship car in China, the Taurus. This midsize sedan will have its global debut at an April 18 event.
The Taurus outsold the Hyundai Azera and Nissan Maxima in 2014, but lagged behind General Motors' Impala sedans and the Toyota Avalon.
The Taurus to be shown in Shanghai will be built at Changan Ford Automobile Co. and will be designed and sold only in China.
Ford announced that it will also feature the new GT, the Focus RS and the Focus ST, but did not identify the other three models.
The Dearborn-based automaker intends to offer 15 new vehicles for the Chinese market in 2015.
Ford also started offering the Lincoln line in China in the second half of 2014 and intends to expand its luxury presence in the Asian giant.
Ford is new in China, the largest consumer market in the world, where it sold 104,842 vehicles in March. Its joint ventures sold 191,983 vehicles in January and February of this year, up 15 percent from a year earlier.
Changan Ford last month opened a new assembly plant in the east China city of Hangzhou that can build 250,000 vehicles a year and increase the company's total annual production capacity to 1.4 million vehicles.
Aside from Changan Ford, Ford Motor Co. also has a commercial vehicle partnership with Jiangling Motor Corp. in China to produce vans and SUVs.
The sales of Jiangling Motors Corp. fell 6 percent in March, although it was up 5 percent for the quarter.
