5 Ford Models Made For China That The US Is Missing Out On

It's hard to debate that the United States, as a society, loves cars. In 2024, for example, Americans purchased 16 million vehicles, a new record since 2019, and industry observers expect similar numbers for 2025. While that is indeed a lot of cars, the American market is nothing compared to that of China. Last year saw the nation's populace of over one billion purchase 31.43 million vehicles, of which 27.5 million were passenger vehicles.

With such a huge market, it shouldn't come as any surprise that American automakers have long targeted the Chinese market. GM, for example, entered the Chinese market in 1997 via a partnership with China's SAIC, and currently offers several Chevrolet vehicles not available in the U.S., such as the Menlo. Similarly, Ford has had a presence in China since 2001, when it established Changan Ford Mazda in collaboration with Mazda and Chinese automaker Changan (the three-way partnership split into separate Changan Ford and Changan Mazda operations in 2012, but that's another story). More recently, Ford partnered with Jiangling Motors Corporation (JMC) to further strengthen its Chinese operations.

The American giant hasn't always had the best time in China, but Ford's operations in the country generated a solid $900 million in revenue in 2024, thanks to a combination of familiar American imports and some China-only specials — some of which we're quite jealous of. Here are some of them.

Let's start with a popular one, the Ford Mondeo. This car was a fixture of Ford's British and European operations for nearly 30 years, and was only removed from production in 2022. It sold millions of units in the U.K. and Europe over its lifetime and proved so ubiquitous among certain groups that former British Prime Minister Tony Blair coined the term "Mondeo Man", to describe New Labour's ideal voter in the 1997 general election.

All of that counted for little in the harsh 2020s, when the popularity of SUVs and the pandemic combined to essentially render the fourth-generation Mondeo, or Ford Fusion in the U.S., obsolete. It wasn't much of a surprise when the Mondeo died out, except that it didn't; at least, not in China. The fifth-generation Ford Mondeo debuted in January 2022, sporting a more aggressive look and a shared platform with the Chinese-market Lincoln Zephyr.

The current fifth-generation Mondeo is available in a few configurations. Chinese buyers can opt for conventional gasoline-only 1.5- and 2.0-liter Mondeos in several trim levels, but the more eco-minded can also spec hybridized versions of both engines with 96 and 140 kW motors, respectively. It's worth noting that Ford also sells a Mondeo Sport, but this is a completely separate model: Instead of a sedan, the Mondeo Sport is a crossover SUV that was known as the Evos until 2024.

The Mondeo isn't the only Ford nameplate to live on in China after being discontinued in other markets. The Ford Edge is essentially in the same boat as the Mondeo, as the model's discontinuation in 2024 didn't stop the company from keeping the name alive in China. Like the Mondeo, the global and Chinese Edge were briefly available at the same time, with Ford initially introducing the Edge L in 2023, a year or so before it pulled the plug on the American version of the crossover.

This wasn't just a case of Ford keeping the name going in a different market, either; The 2023 Edge L was larger than the regular model, with seven seats instead of the old Edge's five, and had a completely new look. It was, essentially, an entirely different vehicle for a different target audience. With the Edge L, Ford brought the old crossover into the modern day with a digital instrument cluster and massive 27-inch touchscreen — one of the largest screens available in a car in 2025 — available only on higher-end versions of the SUV.

The Edge L's engine bay didn't see such a huge upgrade, but on paper, its 248-hp 2.0-liter EcoBoost is every bit the equal of the 250-hp unit found in the American-market Edge. Ford also sells a hybrid version of the Edge L, which combines the 2.0-liter four-pot with a 140 kW motor. Additionally, the Edge L is available both in two- and four-wheel drive versions.

Of all the Chinese-market Fords on this list, the Equator is likely the only one with a name that'll be completely unfamiliar to both Europeans and Americans. First breaking cover in 2020, the Equator is a product of the Ford-JMC alliance, allegedly meant to take on other Chinese-market three-row SUVs, such as the Jeep Grand Commander and Toyota Highlander.

Whatever the motivation, the Equator that debuted in 2021 had a 2.0-liter EcoBoost under the hood that generates 221 hp and 266 lb-ft of torque. Other features include Ford's Co-Pilot 360 safety suite, although only the higher-end trims have access to the full set of capabilities. All versions of the Equator get Tencent Auto Intelligence (TAI), though, which offers drivers access to convenience and communication features such as WeChat, Baidu CarLife, and voice controls.

Ford updated the Equator for 2025, updating the styling and introducing a PHEV setup to the nameplate for the first time. The Equator PHEV combines a 1.5-liter EcoBoost and a 160 kW electric motor. Combined power is allegedly 362 hp (although it's worth noting Ford itself doesn't list the PHEV SUV's combined power output), with the 18.4 kWh battery offering all-electric range of 62 miles. This refresh wasn't the only change to the Equator lineup in recent years, though. A year after debuting the Equator, Ford released the Equator Sport, a smaller, five-seat version of the Equator that nonetheless shares many visual cues with its bigger brother.

Strange as it may seem, minivans may be having a bit of a resurgence in the U.S. VW's throwback EV models like the excellent 2025 VW ID. Buzz have added some life to this market segment, while gasoline minivans have mostly sold more units in the first half of 2025 than they did in 2024. Currently, the Ford Tourneo is one of the coolest vans you can't buy in America, but that may very well change if Ford feels like it's worth joining the party one day.

First debuting for the Chinese market in 2015, the Tourneo is a premium seven-seater minivan that, in its latest incarnation, packs a reasonably capable 2.0-liter EcoBoost diesel under the hood that's good for 217 hp. That's more than the most powerful diesel-equipped Tourneo available to Europeans, which tops out at 167 hp. Ford doesn't list the torque output for the Chinese market Tourneo, but we wouldn't be surprised if it exceeds the European model's 287.6 lb-ft.

The Ford Tourneo's real focus, though, is luxury: Both versions of the people-carrier available in China are very well-equipped, with features such as adjustable seats (for the driver, the passenger, and the whole second row), atmospheric lighting, a Wi-Fi hotspot, and a six-speaker audio system. The pricier Premium Edition even has more exclusive features, including genuine leather upholstery and spiffy 10-way adjustable driver seats.

Ford has produced a long list of iconic nameplates over the years, one of which is the venerable Transit van. Sixty years old as of 2025 and known as the best-selling van in the world (and the base model behind Ford's crazy Supervan), the Transit has been ever-present in Ford's European lineup of vehicles since its debut in 1965. While Ford eventually brought the Transit to North America in 2013, some regions still have exclusive versions of the classic van — and China is one of them.

The Transit T8 is a new addition to Ford's Chinese-market portfolio, having debuted in 2023. It's a model designed exclusively for the Chinese market, too, riding on the Qingtian platform that gives it a 5.25-ton maximum load capacity. Ford offers the T8 in a range of configurations, all available with 2.0- or 2.3-liter diesel engines that generate 111.5 and 126 hp respectively. The 2.0-liter diesel T8 is the more limited of the two, only available in three- or six-seater configurations with varying wheelbase lengths and body heights. The 2.3-liter Transit similarly starts as a short-wheelbase three-seat cargo van but can also be purchased as a six-, nine-, and even an extended-length 18-seater, making it truly a van for everyone.

Initial reports also indicated that the T8 would be available with an EV motor, but Ford China doesn't currently list that as an option. Who knows if we will ever see this model on the streets. The T8 is still a reasonably-equipped van even without it, though, with a 12.3-inch touchscreen, optional vehicle-to-everything technology, and HEPA filtration built in.