Ford Australia had ‘no choice’ but to sell Chinese-made cars, says Chery

Chery Australia chief operating officer Lucas Harris has told CarExpert Ford Australia had no choice but to offer vehicles made in China for its local lineup.

Speaking at the Everything Electric show in Sydney, Mr Harris was asked about the two models recently announced by Ford Australia – the Bronco Basecamp and the Transit City – which are its first Chinese-made models, produced by Ford’s partner JMC, to be offered here.

“Look, I don't think they probably have a choice, to be honest with you,” Mr Harris told CarExpert.

“A lot of the established brands, they have great brands and great following, and they're well known, and they've been here for a long time. They've earned that the hard way, and so I think it would be remiss to ignore that,” he said.

“I think that they have really no choice if they want to remain competitive; to look at ways to do that, and if one of those ways is to produce vehicles in China, well, you could hardly knock them for it, can you?”

Ford announced the two Chinese-made models as it looks to wean itself off its dependence on the Ford Ranger and Everest, both made in Thailand, which make up almost 90 per cent of its sales.

The Transit City will arrive in Australia first, with deliveries scheduled to start in November.

It'll be priced at $50,000 drive-away, making it only $10 more than the Farizon V7E, which starts at $49,990 drive-away. The LDV eDeliver 5 is currently cheaper at $47,990 drive-away, thanks to a $2000 discount on its standard price before on-road costs.

The local launch of the Bronco Basecamp, which will use a range-extender electric vehicle (EREV) powertrain, is planned for the second half of 2027, with pricing and equipment details yet to be announced.

Ford Australia CEO Fadi Mawal told CarExpert both Chinese-made models have gone through the standard rigour and checks to be offered by the manufacturer and will only strengthen the brand.

“We’ve done our due diligence on the product, we’ve done our validation, so it’s a great product and a great value-for-money offering, backed by a brand like Ford that’s been here for 100 years, with a great aftersales capability which has just gotten better with a seven-year warranty,” he said.

Mr Harris said the move isn’t a surprise and isn't a threat to Chinese brands.

“I don't think it does matter where they're built,” the Chery COO said. “It much more matters about the brand and the brand’s intent and the quality control that the brand puts in place.

“I mean, some of the most high-quality electronics products that consumers buy today. Guess where they're made? In China.”

Ford isn’t alone as a ‘legacy brand’ in offering Chinese-made vehicles here.

The top-selling vehicle across all makes in August 2026 was the Tesla Model Y electric SUV, which, along with the Tesla Model 3 sedan, is made in Shanghai for Australian showrooms.

Tesla arch-rival Polestar also sources its local models from China, while Hyundai Australia introduced the Chinese-made Elexio small electric SUV earlier this year.

More recently, Mazda Australia introduced the 6e electric liftback to its lineup, made with its partner Changan in China, which also builds the Mazda CX-6e SUV due in dealers this month.

Similarly, Nissan Australia has effectively confirmed the China-made Frontier Pro ute for local showrooms, having shown it to dealers late last year. Local boss Steve Milette has also said the Terrano SUV shown in Beijing is at the top of the local arm’s wishlist.

Chinese-made vehicles have accounted for 33.3 per cent of all new-vehicle sales so far this year, making China the largest source country for new vehicles in Australia.

Ford Australia has offered models from Taiwan before, and its current range including vehicles made in Turkey, Mexico and the United States.

Ford Australia marketing director Ambrose Henderson told CarExpert the brand is able to leverage its global model lines for its local lineup, wherever they are made.

“For us, are we worried about where we source the product from? No,” Mr Henderson said.

“What we’re focused on is using our global network and our global power to get the right products for the Australian customer.”

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