Sales of Ford Group Philippines (FGP) grew 20 percent in the first quarter of 2010 against the same period last year on the back of a strong performance of the Ford and Mazda brands, data from the company showed.
The group's total sales reached 1,926 units with Ford vehicle sales growing 14 percent and Mazda sales rising 38 percent from January to March against the same months in 2009.
"We are excited to see the momentum of FGP continuing this year, driven by the genuine excitement and demand that Filipino customers have for our world-class Ford and Mazda products," Ford Group Philippines president Rick Baker said.
The Ford Everest continued to be Ford Group Philippines' best-selling brand. Last month, Everest sales grew 26 percent versus February and three percent versus March 2009.
Ford Focus sales surged 68 percent in March 2010 against sales in the same month last year. The Ford Focus 2.0L TDCi with PowerShift dual-clutch transmission technology accounts for one-third of the sales of the Focus, which has six variants in the local market.
"The 2.0L Ford Focus TDCi with PowerShift dual-clutch transmission is a leader in the 2.0L compact car segment, providing first-in-class technology and fuel efficiency that are helping drive its strong appeal with Filipino customers," said Steven Tan, FGP vice president for marketing and sales.
The Ford Escape also continued to be a popular choice among Filipino motorists as it posted a first-quarter growth of 43 percent in sales versus the same period last year.
Meanwhile, the Mazda 3 posted a 7.5 percent increase versus last year while a 136 units of the Mazda 2 have been sold since its official launch on March 17.
Ford Group Philippines sold a total of 8,184 units in 2009, making it the sixth leading car company in the country.
