Ford Ranger Will Be Sold In China With Special Name

Amid fledgling sales in a hyper-competitive market, Ford has thus far struggled to find its footing in China, where the automaker has been developing models specifically for customers in that country for years now. With that strategy failing, The Blue Oval has instead shifted its focus to building and selling existing off-road pickups and SUVs in China via dedicated storefronts, a list that includes the Ford Bronco and Ford Ranger, as Ford Authority previously reported. However, while the Bronco will still be called the Bronco in that market, that apparently won’t be the case with the Ford Ranger.

At the recent Guangzhou International Automobile Exhibition (Guangzhou Auto Show, or GZAS), Ford showed off its entirely new Chinese lineup, which included the Ranger. However, it also revealed that this particular pickup will be called “Youqixia” in that market, which is Chinese for Ranger.

It’s an interesting choice, but perhaps one inspired by the Ford Mustang Mach-E, which has proven to be a sales flop in that market after the automaker slipped up and called 2021 “the Year of the Horse,” even though it was actually “Year of the Ox.” Though it was intended to be a play on the Mustang Mach-E’s lineage, many took it as a sign of disrespect to traditional Chinese culture.

Regardless of the reasoning, the Chinese Ford Ranger will be built locally for customers in that market, and will feature some updates that intend to cater to them as well, including “optimized interior space and an intelligent configuration,” according to the automaker. The very first variant sold in China – the Ranger First Edition – carries a retail price of CNY264,800 ($37,001 USD) for the “patrol version,” and 268,800 ($37,560 USD) for the diesel-powered model.

We’ll have more on the Ranger soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for more Ford Ranger news and ongoing Ford news coverage.