Four Ford models to debut in China this month

Ford hopes to launch 15 new models in China by 2015.

Ford has announced that it will travel to the Beijing Motor Show later this month in order to launch four new vehicles on the Chinese market.

One of them will be the range-topping Focus ST that debuted at the Frankfurt Motor Show last year. The automaker bills the car as its first performance-oriented model designed to be sold in several markets worldwide; that means that it will be powered by the same 250 horsepower 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine that is found in STs all around the world.

The automaker did not mention what the other three vehicles will be. However, rumors circulating around the auto industry give us a vague idea of what to expect.

One of the Fords that will bow in Beijing will almost certainly be the Chinese version of the second-generation Kuga that was presented last month in Geneva. The SUV will take on class heavyweights such as the Volkswagen Tiguan and the Honda CR-V in one of the most competitive market segments in China.

Ford is also expected to display the EcoSport, a compact SUV aimed at global markets that was revealed at the New Delhi Motor Show earlier this year.

The identity of the fourth and final car remains a mystery, though we wouldn't be surprised to see the Flex crossover greet the Asian public for the first time.

The bulk of these cars will be built by Chang'an Ford Mazda Automobile Corporation, the blue oval's local joint-venture. They will feature a version of Ford's SYNC connectivity system that operates in Mandarin Chinese.

The four new cars are part of Ford's 15 x 15 strategy, which calls for the launch of fifteen new models on the Chinese market by 2015.