Manufacturer: Ford  Total sales 2013: 6,330,000 Headquarters: Michigan, USA  Global market share: 8%

Asia-Pacific key to growth

Ford recorded European growth of 6.6% in the first half of 2014, totalling 605,400 sales to claim an 8% market share. According to Ford, more than 52% of vehicle sales in the first six months of the year were of all-new or significantly freshened vehicles.

Sales of vehicles equipped with the turbocharged 1.0 EcoBoost three-cylinder petrol engine also significantly increased in the first six months of the year, up by 15.3% compared to the same period last year.

Launched in 2012 with the Ford Focus, the 1.0-litre EcoBoost is now available in Europe in a further nine vehicles: Fiesta, B-MAX, EcoSport, C-MAX and Grand C-MAX, Tourneo Connect, Tourneo Courier, Transit Connect and Transit Courier. Over 30% of Fiesta sales and more than 33% of Focus sales were of 1.0-litre-equipped versions in the first half of the year. The 1.0-litre EcoBoost is already available in the Fiesta in North America, and also will feature in the North American Focus at the end of the year. Over two million EcoBoost engines were produced globally in 2013.

Ford recorded Fusion’s best-ever August sales in North America, totalling 29,452 vehicles – an increase of 19%. The Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid vehicle also broke records, recording 1,222 sales, followed by the C-Max Energi on 1,050 and the Focus Electric at 264 units.

Explorer sales surged 25% in August to 17,748, with the brand confident that the model will be the best-selling midsize utility for a fourth consecutive year, and Transit Connect and ever-popular Lincoln MKC also posted particularly strong sales increase.

Ford estimates that India’s wholesale figure could reach over two million vehicles in 2018. In order to support demand and improve market share, the company aims to increase the dealership count across the region to 500, and ramp up production to 450,000 cars and 600,000 engines by the close of 2015.

The company has also reduced the waiting period for the EcoSport crossover, which is popular in the country as well as in South Africa, Taiwan, Australia and several European countries, helping to further boost Ford’s exports from the region.

The brand is also pursuing a major expansion plan in China. Ford expects Asia-Pacific countries (mainly China and India) to account for 70% of its global growth in this decade, and generate 40% of its vehicle sales in the next four to five years.

Ford last year launched a number of new vehicles to China including the EcoSport, Fiesta, Kuga and Mondeo, as part of a €3.3bn initiative to capture the Chinese market. Passenger car sales in the region fell 4% in September compared with 2013 to around 69,000. This follows sales increases of 13% in August and 19% in July— representing growth, but at a slower rate than the 49% sales surge recorded for all of 2013.

Analysts blame a lack of new models for the downturn, which the company attributes to constrained manufacturing capacity. A new plant in Hangzhou with the capacity build 250,000 vehicles should help to ease this pressure, and the China-made Ford Escort sedan and imported Ford Mustang due in 2015 will help to boost sales.

Ever-expanding range…

By the end of 2014, Ford will have launched a total of 23 new vehicles around the world in a single year, including refreshes of its flagship Focus and a new Mondeo, based on the Fusion

This rate of activity will continue into 2015, with a raft of vehicles poised to launch, including the new C-MAX and Grand C-MAX range. Design changes reflect the ‘One Ford’ global design language and see the C-MAX family gain the new Ford face with the inverted trapezoidal grille. Inside, there’s a more intuitive layout with fewer controls and switches, and new black satin trim and chrome detailing.

The model also brings Ford’s new 1.5-litre TDCi diesel engine, delivering 120hp – up by 5bhp on the 1.6-litre diesel it replaces, whilst also offering up to a 6% improvement in CO2. Meanwhile the revised 2.0-litre diesel is expected to improve emissions by up to 20%. The range will also again include 100hp and 125hp versions of the 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol engine.

Coming to market in 2015 is the new S-MAX, which debuted at the Paris Motor Show and brings new engines and optimised fuel economy. Roughly the same size as its predecessor, the all-new version of the seven-seat MPV gains added practicality with a power folding feature for the second and third row seats – dubbed Easy-Fold.

Underpinning the new model is the new CD4 platform, which is shared with the Mondeo and set to be used on other forthcoming models, and is said to bring a class-leading driving experience, enhanced by Ford's new integral link rear suspension.

Ford’s US import models – the Mustang and the Edge – will soon be coming to Europe for the first time. ‘We’re very excited about the iconic Mustang joining our European line-up, and the same is true with the all-new Edge which is taking the successful SUV-formula to the business class level,’ explained Wolfgang Booms, executive director of fleet and remarketing in Europe.

‘Edge offers a unique blend of stand-out design, class-leading roominess, smart technologies, and a driving experience our customers will love. It sits at the top of our SUV line up above Kuga and EcoSport and showcases our technology and design credentials in one upmarket SUV. With two versions of our 2.0-litre TDCi diesel engine and very competitive CO2 and a high quality interior, we’re convinced that this is a true alternative to some of the established competition in the market – especially within the user-chooser segment of the fleet market.’

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View from the top 

Wolfgang Booms, executive director of fleet and remarketing in Europe, explains how the brand plans to grow its European share and why the new Focus was designed with fleets in mind. 

How does Ford plan to grow its fleet share in Europe?

In addition to great vehicles, to grow further our fleet share in the European market we want to continue to be a strong partner for our business customers. Going forward, we’re extending our dedicated fleet business dealer network to establish 600-plus Business Centres to be key contact points for medium and large fleets, with more than 700 Transit Centres.

Do you see a growing role for alternative-fuel vehicles within the European range?

We do not expect a major shift in powertrain buying behaviour in the short term as our TDCI diesel engines are delivering a perfect blend of refinement, torque and low CO2 emissions – starting as low as 94g on the new Mondeo. We do, however, recognise an emerging trend to also look at electrified technologies where they are a match for a fleet’s driving pattern.

How did feedback from customers steer New Focus development?

Fleet customers appreciated the extensive safety technology features looking after their drivers in the previous model Focus, and we’ve included more of these advanced technologies in the new Focus, such as Active City Stop, Active Park Assist and SYNC 2 connectivity system with 8-inch touch screen. We were also keen to maintain the strong TCO proposition of Focus, for example, by moving all engines to Stage 6 emission levels and improving fuel efficiency by up to 19% compared to the previous Focus.