US-based Ford Thailand has a positive outlook on the local car market this year after posting a strong sales performance last year.
The company reported yesterday it made 56,156 deliveries in 2017, up sharply by 37% from the previous year. It marked a five-year high in sales volume.
The sales performance helped Ford outpace Thailand's auto industry growth for the fourth consecutive year, boosting its market share by 1.1 percentage points from the prior year to 6.4%.
Moreover, the fourth quarter alone sales rose 76% year-on-year to 16,648 vehicles sold.
Managing director Yukontorn Wisadkosin said Ford continues to make significant progress in Thailand with the market share gains being largely driven by the growing success of the Ranger pickup and Everest sport utility vehicle (SUV).
"A steadily increasing number of customers are finding strong appeal and appreciating the bold design, array of smart technologies and the world-class quality Ford vehicles feature," she said.
Sales of the Ranger increased 44.5% last year to 44,452 vehicles, representing 79.2% of Ford's total sales in Thailand. The sales outpaced the overall pickup segment by more than three times in the fourth quarter alone, with sales increasing by 98% to 13,338 vehicles.
The Ranger also captured segment share, gaining three percentage points from the prior year to a 12.2% market share, third in Thailand's highly competitive pickup segment after Isuzu and Toyota, respectively.
The Everest mid-sized SUV delivered a record performance in 2017 with sales rising by 15.5% from the prior year to 8,212 vehicles. The Everest added 2.1 percentage points to its market share to claim 13.8% among SUVs under the pickup-based platform.
The EcoSport compact SUV contributed to Ford's performance last year with sales increasing by 35% from the prior year to 2,919 vehicles. This helped EcoSport add 3.4 percentage points to its segment share last year, rising to 9.8%.
Ford continued to enhance its retail presence in 2017 with 15 new or upgraded dealerships opened in Greater Bangkok and strategic locations nationwide. Authorised Ford dealer outlets now total 145, and the company plans to continue expansion this year.