Ford Brand Soared To Second Place During First Half of 2015

• Ford Ranger remains top-selling vehicle in South Africa

• Exceptional month for Fiesta and new Focus sales

• Segment leadership for EcoSport and Kuga

PRETORIA, South Africa, 1 July 2015 – Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa (FMCSA) has maintained impressive sales momentum for 2015 by closing off the first half of the year with outstanding volumes and segment leadership for several key models.

Ford’s total sales for June reached 7115 units making this the second-best-selling brand in South Africa with a substantial 22.9% up on the same month last year. Overall, FMCSA’s volume grew by 25.4% compared to the first half of 2014, thus helping to cement its position as the second best-selling brand in the country with a market share of 15.5%.

*According to the National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (NAAMSA), June 2015 aggregate new vehicle sales at 50 251 units were down 4.8% from the 52 785 vehicles sold in June last year.  Overall, out of the total reported Industry sales of 50 251  vehicles, an estimated 42 437 units or 84.5% represented dealer sales, 6.4% represented sales to the vehicle rental industry, 5.9% constituted sales to government and 3.2% to industry corporate fleets.

The Ford Ranger retains its status as South Africa’s top-selling vehicle for 2015, achieving 3 019 sales, 19% up on June 2014. Year-to-date, Ranger volumes have increased by 46.1% relative to first half of last year.

Notably, two out of every ten light commercial vehicle’s (LCV’s) sold was a Ranger year to date. The Ranger accounts for approximately 7% of all vehicles sold in South Africa, and this figure climbs to an outstanding 22% when measured against the LCV segment.

It was a stellar month for Ford on the passenger car front too, as the Fiesta notched up 1 217 units, the highest figure recoded since September 2014. The new Focus gained similar ground following its launch in March this year. With a total of 512 units for June 2015, this is its highest volume since November 2013, and represents an increase of 59.5% compared to last month.

The EcoSport continues to lead the compact SUV segment with 740 sales, giving it an average volume of 1 022 units per month for the first half of 2015. Ford’s Smart Kuga topped the segment with 359 vehicles sold.

“Our current model line-up is the most complete and dynamic we’ve ever had, and customers are clearly responding to the segment-defining levels of technology, refinement, quality and value that Ford offers,” says Ryan Rider, Field Operations and Sales Manager, at FMCSA.

“While the Ranger and EcoSport continue to lead our sales highlights, it’s great to see the new Focus and the expanded Fiesta EcoBoost range achieving notable gains in their respective segments.”

The new model onslaught will continue for Ford for the second half of 2015, as the exciting Focus ST, compact B-Max, all-new Everest and new Ranger make their debut before year-end.