Ford Focus jump starts China sales

Ford Motor Co. said sales in China turned around in April with strong interest shown in the Ford Focus. After Ford sales fell 14 percent in March from March 2011, sales in April climbed 24 percent from the same period a year earlier, The Detroit News reported Tuesday. Ford introduced the Focus to China in April, the first of 15 new models it expects to sell in China within the next three years, the News reported. Joe Hinrichs, president of Ford Asia Pacific and Africa, said Tuesday that the Focus was "well received" in China with 3.7 million Chinese viewers taking a peek at the car online. Hinrichs said Ford would continue to grow its capacity in China, increasing its investment in plants in Hangzhou and Chongqing, the News said. After a slow start in China compared to other foreign brands, Ford is picking up the pace in the world's largest automobile market. In the past, "We just didn't have enough product," Hinrichs said.