Ford Launches Luxury Lincoln Brand in China

WASHINGTON -- Ford Motor Co. launched its luxury Lincoln car brand in China on Thursday, just days ahead of Beijing's auto show in the world's largest car market.

Ford (IW 500/8), the second-largest U.S. automaker, said the Lincoln was designed specifically for China customers.

The company will begin sales in the autumn in seven cities with the Lincoln MKZ, a midsize sedan, and the Lincoln MKC, a small sports utility vehicle.

By 2016, three other Luxury vehicles will have joined the lineup: a midsize SUV, an "all-new" full-size sedan and a large SUV, the Lincoln Navigator.

Customers in China will be able to visually explore the entire array of Lincoln models, colors and features, configure their desired vehicle, and view a life-size image of the customized vehicle both inside and out before making a selection.

The Ford announcement came ahead of Monday's opening of the Beijing Auto Show, which will showcase more than 1,100 vehicles, according to organizers.

Ford said last week that its Ford China unit had record monthly sales of 103,815 vehicles in March, a 28% jump from a year ago. First-quarter sales were up 45%.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2014