Ford says it sold about 1.1 million vehicles in China in 2015, setting a new record

NEW YORK, N.Y. – Ford reported record sales of about 1.1 million vehicles in China last year.

The Dearborn, Michigan, automaker said Friday that its 2015 sales in the country were up 3 per cent from the previous year.

It also set a new monthly sales record in December, selling 124,768 vehicles. That’s up 27 per cent from the prior-year period.

Ford Motor Co.’s passenger car joint venture, Changan Ford Automobile, broke its annual and December sales records. For 2015, the joint venture sold 836,425 vehicles. It’s a 7 per cent rise from 2014. It sold 96,960 vehicles in December, a 49 per cent jump from the year-ago period.

Demand for its new Mondeo gave a boost to Changan’s annual and December sales performances, the company said.

Annual sales of sport utility vehicles like the Ecosport, Kuga, Edge, Explorer and Everest rose 13 per cent to 274,188 vehicles. December sales of SUVs surged 56 per cent to 32,290 vehicles.

Jiangling Motors Corp., Ford’s commercial vehicle investment in China, reported a 6 per cent decline in annual sales and a 12 per cent drop in December sales.

On Tuesday when U.S. auto sales were reported, Ford came in as the bestselling individual brand for the sixth straight year, with sales of just over 2.5 million. The company sold 780,354 F-Series trucks in the U.S. in 2015 — more than one every minute — making it the nation’s top-selling vehicle.

Ford’s stock gained 15 cents to $12.85 before the market open.