The pivot to Chinese-made vehicles is something being quietly evaluated by many of the non-Chinese OEMs in the Philippines. A lot of them would not admit it because it signals a major shift for their brand that may or may not be received well by their loyal customers, but the reality is that there are a lot of major advantages to sourcing models from their joint-venture partners in the Chinese auto manufacturing sector.

Ford Philippines is one of the first non-Chinese OEMs to get models from the PRC (the first one was Chevrolet with the Sail), with the release of the JMC-Ford Territory in 2020, followed by a newer and larger Territory soon after. Today, the Territory is one of the strongest sellers in the Ford Philippines line-up, and the company has launched a hybrid model already. Media sources are still waiting to see if they will actually bring a PHEV variant, which is what many customers are asking for.

But even though Ford Philippines has enjoyed success with the Territory, the company has taken its time to follow it up with more vehicles from their factories in China. They already opened the door with a JMC-Ford unit, and sometimes one wonders why they stopped at that.

Now it is known that Ford is evaluating more vehicles from China, and they are looking at another Ford joint venture, too.

An insider very familiar with their upcoming plans for model launches has revealed that Ford is looking at introducing at least two more vehicles from China, and that these will include PHEV, HEV, and a seven-seater. The kicker is that Changan-Ford (the other joint venture) is now in the mix.

The Changan connection is important because it opens up the possibilities of including vehicle names that are already familiar to customers. Media sources had initially looked at the Ford Explorer, which they do have in China (and with a new look), but that option can be scrubbed now. The Explorer does not have a PHEV or HEV option there, and it is unlikely that will be it unless, for some reason, Ford wants another ICE-only model amidst an energy crisis.

The likely candidates are going to be the Ford Equator PHEV seven-seater (of which the five-seater version is known as the Equator Sport, AKA Territory), as well as the Ford Edge L, which does have a hybrid variant.

There is a possible third model in the mix, as it does make sense for Ford, that would be the Bronco New Energy. This is different from the Bronco that Ford brought in from the US with the thirsty engine, as Ford China does offer a somewhat different Bronco that comes as a BEV and as a range-extender EV (REEV/EREV).

Of course, at this stage, it is still all hush-hush, but the next few months could really be exciting times for Ford in the Philippines.