|
Ford dealer eyes revved up sales
Lao Ford City has set itself a bold target, believing the launch of the latest Ford Fiesta will boost sales by 200 cars per year.
“So far, we've sold more than 2,500 vehicles since Lao Ford City opened in 2004,” said General Manager Prasarn Suksudej, speaking at the Fiesta launch ceremony in Vientiane on Friday.
The new model is the first European small size luxury car to enter the Lao market, after already selling more than 1 million units worldwide.
“We are very confident the Fiesta is going to sell very well in Laos too. About 20 cars have already been reserved,” Mr Prasarn said.
Prices range from about 198 million to 222 million kip (US$24,650 to US$27,650) for the four-door sedan.
“The prices are very competitive compared with other brands; especially when we take into account all of their special features,” he said.
Currently the company has about a 20 percent share of the automotive market, mostly selling pick-up trucks.
“We're confident Fiesta sales will reach our target and help us to capture a greater market share, especially helping us to catch up with the Japanese vehicle market leaders,” Mr Prasarn said.
Lao Ford City operates sales and service units in Vientiane and the provinces of Luang Prabang and Champassak and, since December, in Savannakhet province.
The company plans to open more branches soon, including service units for investment projects that buy at least 30 Ford vehicles. They currently have mobile service trucks in areas where there is no service unit.
The company is boosting its operations by continuing to expand nationwide coverage. It has also scheduled attractive marketing campaigns for the near future.
Ford's South East Asia District Manager, Mr. D. J. Simpson, said Laos is part of a broader strategy for Ford in which Asia is playing an increasingly important role. The continent is expected to account for the majority of the growth in the auto industry over the next 5 to 7 years.
More significantly, Asia is expected to provide nearly 70 percent of the growth for Ford's global operations during the same time period.
To support this growth, Ford began an aggressive expansion strategy for the region starting in 2006. “Since then, we have invested more than 24 trillion kip (US$3 billion) to aggressively expand our operations,” Mr Simpson said.
The investment includes the establishment of major m anufacturing and export hubs in countries such as India, China and Thailand to meet the explosive demand for autos throughout the region in countries such as Laos.
vientiane times
|
