MANAMA: US automotive giant Ford has seen 23 per cent growth in Bahrain sales last year with Almoayyed Motors, the local importer-dealer for Ford and Lincoln, recording a strong fleet sales growth of about 80 per cent.

The company’s Middle East division has reported 12pc year-on-year rise in total sales, crossing the 85,000 unit milestone.

“The results are thanks to Almoayyed Motors’ continued efforts to expand the presence of Ford and Lincoln products in the local market, and investing in developing the after-sales services and capacity to support local customers,” Ford Middle East’s director of sales Thierry Sabbagh said.

“We are in full swing for a strong start to the current year, gearing up to launch seven new products while working to increase service capacity to support our growing customer base as we intensify efforts with our dealers to deliver higher levels of customer satisfaction and lower cost of ownership,” he said.

Mr Sabbagh was speaking at a Press conference at the Gulf Hotel yesterday.

Ford’s flagship sedan, Taurus, posted a 60pc growth in sales across the region and took leadership of the segment.

The Mustang also saw its regional sales go up by nearly 10pc, while Focus regional sales went up by more than 10pc.

In Bahrain, the C-car’s sales went up by 91pc, while the smaller Fiesta delivered 57pc more sales.

Sales of the mid-size Fusion grew by more than 180pc.

In the kingdom, the mid-size SUV Ford Explorer saw a growth of 25pc, while the Escape sold 72pc more and the full-size Expedition registered more than 30pc increase.

In Bahrain, F-150 sales last year grew by more than 120pc.

Ford Motor Company’s luxury brand, Lincoln, registered its highest growth rate ever last year, with 50pc more vehicles – 2,219 units – sold across the Middle East compared to 2012.

In Bahrain, Lincoln grew by 144pc.

The regional strong performance was led by the high-end utility crossover MKX, which rose 125pc, and the Lincoln MKS full size sedan, which grew 81pc.

Additionally, Ford announced the creation of its fifth global business unit – Ford Middle East and Africa – as of January 1.

Operating in Dubai, the new unit is divided into two sub-regions – South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Middle East and North Africa – covering 47 markets across the region.

“Ford’s positive performance in the Middle East marks a strong start for the new FMEA business unit overall,” said Ford Middle East and North Africa director Kalyana Sivagnanam.
“The Middle East and Africa is a region with tremendous potential for growth for the automotive industry with sales likely to increase by about 40pc to around 5.5 million units by 2020,” he added.
avinash@gdn.com.bh