Faced with fierce competition in the Chinese market, Ford China continues to seek change, consolidating its previously fragmented sales channels into one. The news of Changan Ford and Jiangling Ford merging their sales channels, previously reported by the media, has been confirmed.
On September 23, Ford Motor (China) Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Ford China") announced the official establishment of Ford Motor Sales and Service (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Ford Sales and Service Company") in Shanghai. As a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ford, it will be fully responsible for the marketing, sales and service business of Ford brand passenger cars and pickup trucks in the Chinese market, and will officially start operations on October 1, 2025.
At the same time, Chen Xiaobo, former vice president and general manager of the marketing center of Changan Ford New Energy Technology Co., Ltd., Ford's joint venture in China, and executive vice president of Changan Ford's national sales and service organization, will officially join Ford China as president of Ford Sales and Service Company, reporting to Wu Shengbo, president and CEO of Ford China and Ford International Markets Group.
Chen Xiaobo, President of Ford Sales and Service Company
On the same day, Jiangling Motors issued an announcement that it plans to entrust Ford Motor Sales and Service (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Ford Motor") to provide comprehensive distribution services in the Chinese market for Ford brand passenger cars and Ford brand pickup trucks produced by Jiangling Motors.
Ford's two joint ventures in China previously focused on different products and market segments. Jiangling Ford's products primarily focused on hardcore off-road vehicles and pickup trucks, with approximately 110 dealers; Changan Ford's products were more focused on the mainstream family sedan market, with approximately 270 dealers. With the exception of Ford imported vehicles, all vehicles produced by Jiangling Motors and Changan Ford will be sold by Ford China, integrated into the newly established wholly-owned Ford China Sales Company. This marks Ford as the first foreign automaker to achieve full integration of sales for both its joint ventures and imported vehicles in the Chinese market.
Ford China said that this strategic adjustment was made by fully listening to the feedback from dealers and users, and reaching a consensus with its joint venture partners in China to make strategic innovations in the sales and service network. It established a wholly-owned Ford Sales and Service Company to create a unified Ford brand sales and service network, promote Ford brand upgrades, and launch more new energy products including the Ford Smart Fun, which made its global debut at the Chengdu Auto Show, bringing consumers a more convenient one-stop sales and service experience, and will be able to significantly improve the network's collaborative efficiency.
The upgraded channel will create a unique "Ford Zongheng" lifestyle system, covering four major sections: "Experience Space" (Zongheng Space), "Outdoor Life Community" (Zongheng Community), "Personalized Boutique Modification" (Zongheng Equipment) and "Vehicle Service/Guardian" (Zongheng Guardian), creating a lifestyle of outdoor leisure, exploration, wild travel and wild fun, and bringing "full-scene outdoor experience" to Ford users.
"The establishment of a wholly-owned Ford Sales and Service Company is a bold innovation and experiment in marketing, sales, and service for the Ford brand in the face of fierce market competition," said Wu Shengbo. "It will allow us to further strengthen the Ford brand image, providing Chinese consumers with a more unified brand experience, a more comprehensive product lineup, and a more streamlined and convenient sales and service network. It will also effectively improve dealership operational efficiency and profitability."
