The F-Series has been one of the most consistent best sellers for Ford and one of the best vehicles the American automobile giant has produced over the years, or should we say decades. The F-150 is the current iteration of the model which has been very well received in the US and European markets.
Enter the Dragon
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2015_Ford_F-150_wheels.jpg
Now, Ford is ready to take over the Chinese market with its F-150 Raptor series. Ford has already started shipping the Raptors to Chinese dealers who in turn are preparing to market the pickup truck to potential buyers. The communist country, with its 1 billion plus population, could become one of the largest buyers of Ford pickups in the world after the US.
The F-150 Raptor's appeal is its unmatched off-roading capabilities and performance that helped it gain a massive fan following across the world, and now Ford is looking to conquer the Chinese market. The President of Ford America, Joe Hinrichs, said that tapping into the potential of the Chinese market will help the company bring a new kind of enthusiasts into the fold. The Ford family is going to get bigger, which says a lot since it is already massive.
Ford continues to break new ground. Ford is amazing and their innovation and marketing are impeccable. There are plenty of deserts and forests and mountains in China that the Raptor would love to conquer. Soon, the Chinese can be blazing their own trails all over their country like us in America have been doing for decades and decades.
Future
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_F-Series_thirteenth_generation
Ford is currently facing a lot of pressure from the newly elected President, Donald Trump, to create new jobs and setup new manufacturing units and plants in the country. Ford is currently doing pretty well in China where it sold around 1.25 million vehicles in the last year.
As James Chao rightly noted, even though the number of F-150 Raptors that the company will sell in the country is not going to be phenomenal, the real value lies in the fact that the truck is going to help build a brand value and a macho image of the company in the Chinese market. Who says Chinese men cannot be tough guys as well?! Jet Li is not tough?! He is! But he could be tougher driving an F-150!
China is, however, yet to become a hotbed for pickup trucks. Even though the country is already the largest automobile market in the world, the sales of pickup trucks has yet to pick up pace in the country. Raptor is a halo vehicle that will help Ford position itself even before the market matures for pickup trucks.
Ford is thinking way ahead of time here which is a judicious move on their part. As far as data and stats are concerned, pickup trucks account for around 1.5 percent of the total sales, but all this and more will change in the coming years.
Current Scenario
https://www.flickr.com/photos/juanelo242a/23921807926
On the other hand, there are several cities in China where sale of pickup trucks are not allowed as the city authorities are actively trying to cut back on pollution. Another reason why sales are not picking up is because of traffic congestion at the street level in cities.
Most of the pickup trucks are being manufactured in the North America, and by the time they reach the market in China, they carry an additional 25 percent cost on them due to import duties and other taxes. Not smart China! Though Trump will soon be playing that same game!
On the bright side, several smaller towns and cities which are less congested and away from larger cities, which there are a plethora of them, this type of cool and spectacular truck can perhaps do well. For now, it seems that Ford is the only company who is trying to position itself in the Chinese market. Needless to say, the competition is going to watch closely and may soon follow the footsteps in Ford's wake.
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