Ford to export new model in China
( 2002-01-10 10:50 ) (1 )

Ford Motor Company, the world's second largest carmaker, Wednesday announced it was expected to export 3,000 to 4,000 Mondeo Ghia-X sedans to China this year.

The launch of the 2.0-litre Mondeo Ghia-X comes one year after Ford's Mondeo M2000 became a favourite among motoring fans on the Chinese mainland.

"I believe we will be able to sell more Mondeo Ghia-X in China if we succeed in getting import quotas from the Chinese Government," said Kenneth Hsu, vice-president of Ford Motor (China) Ltd.

China will issue total import vehicle quotas of US$8 billion this year.

Prices of the Mondeo Ghia-X will range between 310,000 yuan (US$37,340) and 320,000 yuan (US$38,550), compared with the M2000's 308,000 yuan (US$37,200).

"We have aligned the price of the Ghia-X with China's recent tariff cuts on auto imports," Hsu told China Daily on Wednesday.

The nation slashed its auto tariffs to 43.8-50.7 per cent from 70-80 per cent on January 1 -- the biggest cut after its entry to the World Trade Organization (WTO).

The Mondeo Ghia-X is one of many foreign models flooding into China. Analysts say the nation's vehicle imports this year will surge from around 70,000 units last year.

Hsu said the company had stopped exporting the Mondeo M2000 to China with the launch of the Ghia-X. Ford sold around 1,000 Mondeo M2000s in China last year.