'Filipinos Love Their Cars,' Says Ford Philippines Chief
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You’d think it’s a given that most people who buy cars love them, but apparently, that’s not the case. At a special lunch Ford Philippines organized to welcome its new managing director Mike Breen, I asked what he’s learned so far about the Filipino vehicle buyer in the 10 months or so that he’s been on the job.
“Filipinos love their cars,” he said. “You’d think that that's not unique.”
“Yes, I would think that's true for everyone,” I pressed.
“It’s not,” he answered. “Filipinos take care of their investment. You’re passionate about your cars.”
Breen, who’s spent most of his career in the automotive industry in the U.S., added that that’s actually not the case in the U.S., and other markets, where people take their vehicles for granted, and so they don't appreciate them as much.
“People there are less passionate about their cars,” he said. “Here, it's almost like, ‘I've worked so hard to buy this. And to have it, I'm going to take care of it.’”
To illustrate his point, Breen said that, when the car comes in to get serviced here in the country, typically it’s not the actual work getting done that takes up a lot of time, but explaining what got done to the customer to the point that they're comfortable with it.
“Those are things that have been, I think, good learnings for me, and things to take away,” he said.
Breen is coming in at a good time for the American carmaker in the Philippines. The Ford Territory is doing brisk sales in the country, tallying 904 units in March 2022, which is a 51-percent increase from the same period last year. The makes it the leader in the small SUV segment in the country, capturing 54 percent share for the first quarter of 2022 and 63 percent for the month of March.
The Territory also reached quite an impressive milestone this year, selling its 10,000th unit at the end of the first quarter. The small SUV has now sold a total of 10,758 units since it was launched in August 2020.
For March 2022, Ford said it has recorded total vehicle sales of 1,931 units, up 13 percent compared to the same month last year. And for the first quarter of the year, Ford moved a total of 4,634 units, naming the Ford Ranger its bestselling model in addition to the Territory.
“We are off to a great start this year as we see the growing popularity of our Ford vehicle lineup among our customers, particularly the Ford Territory which continues to be one of the best-selling SUVs in the market today,” Breen said. “With the easing of travel restrictions and increased demand for safe mobility, we are optimistic that we will maintain the momentum in the next quarter together with our Ford dealers nationwide.”
Up next for Ford is the launch of its next-generation Ford Ranger and next-generation Ford Everest later in the year. It also introduced a direct chat feature in its website in its push for better customer service and ownership experience.
