Ford is hurting in most parts of the world with sales slowing and costs rising. Outside of the U.S., China is Ford’s most important market. Recent governmental regulation changes in China have made trucks more appealing to buyers in the country. In 2018, truck sales grew 10 percent as the overall vehicle market in China declined. With truck sales up so much, Ford announced that it would roll out another truck model in China to sell alongside the Ford F-150 Raptor and the Ford Ranger.
The new truck model destined for China is the high-end 2019 Ford F-150 Limited. Ford crams the high-output 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 the Raptor uses under the hood of the Limited along with a much more luxurious cabin and more features. The 2019 Ford F-150 Limited is one of the most expensive trucks Ford offers; the 4×2 version starts at $62,855 in the U.S. while the 4×4 version will set you back $72,055.
Ford notes that the 2019 Ford F-150 Limited will bring the “premium truck lifestyle” to Chinese customers. Ford doesn’t give an exact date for when the 2019 F-150 Limited will land in China, it only says “later this year.” Among the luxurious touches inside the F-150 Limited are a suede headliner, leather-topped instrument panel and doors, and two-tone leather multi-contour front massage seats. Limited buyers also get the high-end B&O audio system.
The reason that pickup sales are booming in China has to do, in part, with eased regulations in the country. Pickups can now drive into the urban areas of 31 mainland provincial zones. A rule that forced trucks to wear a large sticker saying they were commercial vehicles has also been removed. While Ford China is rolling out a new luxury truck for the market, it laid off 20,000 workers in February 2019.
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