SUVs help Ford drive past 21% sales growth

Ford, Lincoln and Mercury retail sales grew by 21 per cent in the Middle East during the first half of 2008, setting a record performance for the three brands across the region.

Led by a strong surge in Ford utility vehicle sales (up by nearly 50 per cent), the results show an increased consumer preference across the range and Ford believes this trend would get stronger with the launch of the all-new 2009 Ford Flex full-size crossover in the next quarter.

In the UAE the trend was similar with an increase of 25 per cent.

"While the US market is witnessing a downturn in SUV sales, Ford has a success story in the Middle East where we see considerable growth across our utility vehicle range," said Hussein Murad, Ford Middle East's Sales and Marketing director.

"Ford now offers an extensive and diverse line-up of utility vehicles with six distinctive models to suit various consumer needs. And with the upcoming launch of the all-new 2009 Ford Flex full-size crossover, we are confident the growth trend will go stronger as we bring yet another innovative product to the region."

With six distinctive models featuring segment leading specifications and technologies, Ford's family of utility vehicles are increasingly in tune with GCC consumer wants as their performance demonstrates.

The Edge crossover witnessed instant popularity since its debut in 2007, and this year its volume has grown by 175 per cent.

Meanwhile, the adventurous compact SUV Escape sold 55 per cent more units this year, thanks to its newly refreshed model, while all-time favourite mid-size SUV, the Explorer, delivered nearly 60 per cent more vehicles to GCC families.

"Additionally, the bold and versatile Explorer Sport Trac has sold four times more this year, as the full-size Expedition and its extended version, the Expedition EL, have delivered 50 per cent and 60 per cent more vehicles to large families respectively.

Murad added: "Ford, Lincoln and Mercury have seen extensive transformations across their line-up in the past couple of years, and while new product drive is still in full throttle across the three brands, we remain totally focused on the business, delivering quality products and the highest levels of customer satisfaction on both the sales and service fronts.

"We have some of the best dealers in the industry bar-none who are continuously investing in network and facility developments as well as raising the customer satisfaction standards, and this has considerable effect on our business. Today, Ford's product quality is continuously growing, and we are pleased with the numerous recognitions our products are receiving from all over the world. This, coupled with the progressive and dynamic designs of our new products as well as the all-new nameplates and technologies we'll be introducing soon will surely give us a considerable boost," he said.

A US Global Quality Research System (GQRS) study conducted on the first quarter of 2008 by the RDA Group of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan confirmed Ford's successful year so far, citing that the Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles have touched the top of the quality charts lately, on par with Toyota and Honda.

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