Ford Motor Co. opened a new design center in China's business hub Shanghai on Monday, a move considered an important layout for the U.S. automaker to increase investment in the Chinese market.
With world-class facilities such as a full-size clay model workshop, it is the only full-function automotive design center in downtown Shanghai.
The company said it will use the latest technology to create future products that cater to the demands of the Chinese consumers and at the same time lead global trends.
Focusing on the design and development of products for the Chinese market, the center has the whole-process automotive design abilities such as design trend research, interior and exterior modeling design, digital interactive experience design, and full-size clay model production.
At the design center, designers can review the clay models with 8K-resolution high-definition LED large screen and the latest virtual reality equipment, while revising and delivering relevant data through a three-dimensional scanning device.
"Through Ford's global virtual reality real-time review system, design teams in China can effectively communicate and review designs online with their counterparts in other continents at any time," said Chen Liang, an exterior design manager of Ford China.
Last year, Ford sold nearly 625,000 vehicles in China, up 3.7 percent year on year, with its Lincoln brand recording the best annual sales since entering the country.
The opening of this world-class design center is the latest impetus for Ford China to continue its brand transformation, according to Anning Chen, group vice president of Ford Motor Co. and president and CEO of Ford China.