Ford has announced that it sold 95,906 retail units in 2013 in the ASEAN region, an increase of over 7 percent year-over-year. To note, ASEAN, or Association of Southeast Nations, includes 10 countries, including Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. If ASEAN were a single entity, it would rank as the eighth largest economy in the world.
During the year, Ford grew in the region thanks to various developments, including strong sales in Thailand, a mid-year entry into Myanmar, and being the fastest-growing automotive brand in the Philippines. Ford was also among the fastest growing auto brands in both Vietnam and Malaysia, and had strong growth in the emerging markets of Cambodia, Laos, and Brunei.
“We continued to make significant progress on our One Ford plan in 2013 — further expanding our Ford showroom across ASEAN, building on our world-class Ford dealer network and customer service experience, and having the opportunity to serve so many new-to-Ford customers across the region,” said Matt Bradley, president, Ford ASEAN.
Results By Region
Ford’s operations in Thailand continued to lead the overall sales volume in the ASEAN region, delivering full-year sales of 51,223 units. The Ranger pickup truck as well as the Focus and Fiesta remained strong sellers. With a 41 percent annual increase to 13,285 units, the Philippines were second in the region by sales volume.
Meanwhile, helped lead an overall industry recovery by delivering retail sales that jumped 71 percent to 8,177 units in Vietnam, and an increase sold 10,660 units — up 50 percent — in Malaysia. Ford made a splash by entering Myanmar in the middle of the year, allowing the automaker to further expand its footprint in the ASEAN region. The Blue Oval didn’t provide any specific sales results for the country, but considers its entry to play “a key role in developing the nascent auto industry in this country of 60 million people.”
| COUNTRY | UNITS SOLD |
|---|---|
| THAILAND | 51,223 |
| PHILIPPINES | 13,285 |
| MALAYSIA | 10.660 |
| VIETNAM | 8,177 |
| CAMBODIA | 786 |
| LAOS | 680 |
| BRUNEI | 565 |
| SINGAPORE | UNKNOWN |
| MYANMAR | UNKNOWN |
Additionally, Ford sales in Cambodia totaled 768 units, up 179 percent from 2012, while sales in Laos were up 184 percent to 680 units. Overall retail sales in Brunei jumped 184 percent to 565 units.
Going forward, the automaker is considering the region as an opportunity.
“The growth opportunity in ASEAN continues to be significant, and we’re confident that we have the right plan in place to enable a strong growth trend,” explained Bradley.
Results By Model Line
On a vehicle basis, the Thai-built Ranger was the best-selling model in ASEAN, with overall retail sales rising 65 percent to an all-time best of 45,508 units. The Ranger was the best-selling pickup truck in Vietnam, while sales in Thailand grew 43 percent to 28,287 units.
The Focus also recorded a great performance in the region, selling 9,690 units, up 21 percent from 2012. The vehicle was also the best-selling nameplate in the world through the first half of 2013, being on track to remain the best-selling nameplate for all of 2013. Of course, those results are based on Ford’s analysis of Polk global vehicle registration data.
The refreshed Fiesta arrived in the second half of 2013, and finished the year with total retail sales of 28,115 units. Meanwhile, the Thai-built Everest SUV sold 5,700 units, a 24 percent increase year-over-year.
| MODEL | UNITS SOLD |
|---|---|
| RANGER | 45,508 |
| FOCUS | 9,690 |
| FIESTA | 28,115 |
| EVEREST | 5,700 |
*The table above leaves 6,830 units unaccounted for. That amount is likely broken up into the remaining models Ford markets in the ASEAN region, including Expedition, Mustang, E-Series, Territory, and first-gen Escape
Ford will launch the EcoSport subcompact crossover across ASEAN markets during the first quarter of 2014, having commenced production of the Fiesta-based vehicle at its $450 million, state-of-the-art Ford Thailand Manufacturing facility in Rayong.
“With the launch of even more segment-leading global Ford vehicles on the way, we are confident that our product-led transformation will continue to drive momentum this year and beyond,” said Bradley.
Dealer News
Ford continued to expand its dealer network in 2013, growing its presence in Thailand to 140 locations, and expanding locations in he Philippines by roughly 20 percent.
In pursuing its goal to continually enhance the customer service and ownership experience, the automaker implemented several initiatives across the region during 2013, including ongoing upgrade of all dealerships across the region to reflect Ford’s global Brand@Retail design and customer interface, the expansion of the Mobile Service Unit fleet in Thailand, as well as a number of enhanced Service and Maintenance packages that are aimed at providing further peace-of-mind and convenience to Ford customers.
Notably, Ford topped the JD Power Asia Pacific Sales Satisfaction Index (SSI) survey for the Philippines and the Customer Service Index (CSI) survey for Indonesia in 2013.
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