Beijing 2014: Lincoln car brand launched in China

Ford has officially launched its Lincoln premium brand in China.

Speaking to media ahead of the Beijing motor show, Ford boss Alan Mulally said he believed that Lincoln was "absolutely ready to take on the world’s largest car market". He also stated that Lincoln aimed to give better value and better service than other imported luxury brands.

The brand will start sales with two US-built models: the MKZ saloon, based on the next-generation Ford Mondeo, and the MKC SUV. The range will grow to include larger SUVs and the all-new Lincoln Navigator in 2016.

Mulally wouldn’t reveal sales targets for Lincoln in China, though Ford is expected to sell more than one million cars in the market in 2014.

Ford’s sales and marketing boss, Jim Farley, refused to give sales targets for Lincoln, but revealed that the cars would be sold in a different, "more personalised" way than other luxury brands.

Lincoln took the unprecedented step of building a prototype dealership in Shanghai three years ago in order to research and test customer preferences.