Ford Delivers Record Performance for ASEAN in 2013

BANGKOK, Jan. 9, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) today announced that overall retail sales for the ASEAN region in 2013 rose more than seven percent year-over-year to an all-time best 95,906 units.

• Overall sales rose more than seven percent year-over-year to all-time best 95,906 units – reflecting Ford's expanding ASEAN showroom and continued progress on its One Ford plan
• Thailand drives overall ASEAN volume in 2013; Ford among fastest-growing auto brands in Philippines, Vietnam and Malaysia; Entry to Myanmar expands regional footprint
• Record year was driven by best-ever full-year sales for Ranger and Focus nameplates in ASEAN, as well as continued strong demand for Fiesta and Everest nameplates
• Company says product-led transformation will continue driving sales momentum in 2014, including launch of Thailand-built all-new EcoSport

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140109/DE43703)

Sales in Thailand continued to drive the company's overall ASEAN performance, while Ford was the fastest-growing automotive brand in the Philippines in 2013 and among the fastest in both Vietnam and Malaysia. Ford's entry into Myanmar at mid-year, strong growth in the emerging markets of Cambodia and Laos, as well as Brunei, also helped fuel the company's growth in the region.

"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.

"The success of our ongoing product-led transformation in ASEAN is helping to further drive the strength and appeal of the Ford brand across these markets," added Bradley.

Ford Thailand continued to lead the overall sales volume in ASEAN by delivering full-year sales of 51,223 units, driven by the continued popularity and success of the segment-defining all-new Ford Ranger pickup, as well as continued strong demand for the technology-packed all-new Focus and segment-leading new Fiesta.

Ford was among the fastest-growing auto brand in the Philippines, Vietnam and Malaysia in 2013. In the Philippines, Ford delivered a record full-year performance with overall retail sales that rose 41 percent from the prior year to 13,285 units.

In Vietnam, Ford helped lead an overall industry recovery by delivering retail sales that jumped 71 percent to 8,177 units. And in Malaysia, Ford's overall sales rose 50 percent to 10,660 units. Ford's high-profile entry into Myanmar in the middle of the year allowed the company to further expand its footprint in the ASEAN region, and to help play a key role in developing the nascent auto industry in this country of 60 million people.

Ford also delivered strong performances in the emerging markets of Cambodia, with full-year sales rising 179 percent to 768 units, and Laos, with sales up 184 percent to 680 units. Overall retail sales in Brunei jumped 184 percent to 565 units.

"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.

Product-led transformation

The Thai-built all-new Ranger was Ford's best-selling nameplate across ASEAN, with overall retail sales rising 65 percent to an all-time best 45,508 units. This included being the number one pickup overall in Vietnam. Ranger sales in Thailand jumped 43 percent year-over-year to 28,287 units.

The all-new Ford Focus also turned in a record performance for ASEAN in 2013 with overall retail sales increasing 21 percent from the previous year to 9,690 units. The all-new Focus significantly raises the bar in the compact segment by delivering a class-leading combination of smart technologies, innovative design and safety, and fuel efficiency.

Globally, the Ford Focus was the best-selling nameplate through the first half of 2013 and on track to remain the best-selling nameplate for the full year, based on Ford analysis of Polk global vehicle registration data.

The segment-leading Ford Fiesta was given a boost in the second half of 2013 with the launch of a significantly refreshed model that features Ford's revolutionary EcoBoost engine technology. Fiesta finished the year with overall retail sales in ASEAN of 28,115 units.

Sales of the Thai-built Ford Everest SUV enjoyed another strong year in ASEAN in 2013 with overall sales increasing 24 percent to 5,700 units.

Ford is preparing for the official launch of the all-new Ford EcoSport compact SUV across its ASEAN markets during the first quarter, and will kick-off production later this month at the company's $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.

Ford continued to enhance its customer service experience in 2013, including the opening of new authorized Ford dealerships in key locations across the ASEAN region. This included expanding the dealer network in Thailand to a total of 140 locations, as well as expanding its dealer network in the Philippines by nearly 20 percent.

Making good on its ongoing commitment to further enhance its customer service and ownership experience, Ford also implemented a number of initiatives across the ASEAN region in 2013.

These included the ongoing upgrade of all dealerships across the region to reflect Ford's global Brand@Retail design and customer interface, the expansion of its Mobile Service Unit fleet in Thailand, and a number of enhanced Service and Maintenance packages that are aimed at providing further peace-of-mind and convenience to Ford customers.

In 2013, Ford topped JD Power Asia Pacific's Sales Satisfaction Index (SSI) survey for the Philippines and the Customer Service Index (CSI) survey for Indonesia.

"We're proud of this recognition, and plan to keep building on the progress we're making with our customer and aftersales service offering," said Bradley.

About Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 180,000 employees and about 65 plants worldwide, the company's automotive brands include Ford and Lincoln. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford's products, please visit www.fordmotorcompany.com

SOURCE Ford Motor Company