Ford posts 52% hike in October sales

MANILA, Philippines - Ford Motor Co.’s local unit delivered its best monthly sales in October amid  strong demand for the Ranger, EcoSport and Everest vehicle models.

According to Ford Philippines, it sold 1,950 units in October, 52 percent higher than the 1,286 units sold in the same month last year.

Demand for the Ranger helped the company achieve its best monthly performance as it sold 787 units of the pickup in October, a 61-percent increase year-on-year.

The EcoSport compact sports utility vehicle (SUV) introduced in April this year also contributed to the company’s October result with sales of 605 units.

Also driving the record sales for the month was the Everest with sales of 297 units in October, up six percent from 280 units a year ago.

For the January to October period, the company’s total sales rose 52 percent to 16,514 units this year from 10,877 units in the comparable period in 2013.

“We’re continuing to build on the success of our One Ford plan, including the further expansion of our Philippines showroom with the recent reveal of the new Explorer Sport and Escape. This will give consumers even more choice and opportunity to connect with the Ford brand,” Ford Philippines managing director Kay Hart said.

Ford Philippines is on track with plans to expand its nationwide dealership network to 37 locations by the end of the year.

It is set to open a new dealership in Alabang later this month.

The company has also expanded its SUV lineup with the launch of the Explorer Sport and unveiling of the new Escape last month.

The Escape would be available for test drives and pre-bookings at Metro Manila dealerships starting next week, with customer deliveries beginning in January.

Last year, Ford Philippines’ total sales reached 13,286 units, a 41-percent growth from 2012.