OREANDA-NEWS. July 09, 2015. Ford surpassed the half-million mark in China selling 543,488 vehicles in the first half of the year, on pace with the first half of 2014 as it readies for the second half impact of five new vehicle launches.

June sales were 83,506, down three percent from one year ago.

Changan Ford Automobile (CAF), Ford’s passenger car joint venture, sold 394,978 vehicles in the first half of the year, on pace with the first half of 2014. CAF sold 61,979 vehicles in June, down three percent from June 2014.

Demand for the Ford Kuga grew steadily in the first half of 2015, with 65,767 vehicles sold in the first half of the year, up four percent from 2014. Steady demand for the Ford Kuga helped buoy overall SUV segment performance for Ford in China. In the first half the year, Ford SUV sales, which includes the Ford EcoSport, Ford Kuga, Ford Edge and Ford Explorer, crossed the 100,000 mark with 118,719 vehicles sold.

Performance car sales for Ford in China also were strong. First-half sales for the Ford Fiesta ST, Ford Focus ST and Ford Mustang increased 120 percent to 1,263 vehicles. This comes after Ford’s recent announcement that it will return to Le Mans, the prestigious endurance race, in 2016 with the all-new Ford GT supercar. The GT was unveiled for the first time in Asia Pacific at Auto Shanghai in April.

Ford’s commercial vehicle partner Jiangling Motors Corporation (JMC) sold 133,654 vehicles in the first half of the year, up three percent compared to 2014. JMC sold 19,016 vehicles in June, down five percent from a year ago.

“Our sales for the first half of the year were steady in a weakening industry. We expect to see a stronger second half as new products we’ve been launching continue to build momentum and as we launch additional products, including the new Ford Taurus, which has been uniquely designed to cater to the needs and demands of Chinese consumers,” said John Lawler, chairman and CEO, Ford Motor China. “We are pleased that China’s discerning car buyers continue to choose Ford and we are committed to bringing them Ford’s high-quality, safe, smart and fuel-efficient global portfolio of vehicles.”