Record sales for the third consecutive year in Viet Nam and the Philippines helped US carmaker Ford achieve a 11 per cent increase in sales in ASEAN countries last year.

It sold nearly 115,800 vehicles in the region, marking the fourth consecutive year of record sales in the region too.

Thailand continued to spearhead Ford’s overall performance in ASEAN with sales rising 12 per cent to 40,972 vehicles.

In Việt Nam, sales rose 40 per cent to 29,011 units, led by record sales of the Ranger, Transit and EcoSport models.

With its sales outpacing the overall industry for the third consecutive year, Ford increased its Vietnamese market share by 1 percentage point to 9.5 per cent.

The company capped the year with its all-time best monthly performance in December, with sales increasing by 10 per cent year-on-year to 2,900 units.

The segment-defining Ranger remained Viet Nam’s best-selling pickup truck for the second consecutive year with sales soaring 62 per cent to 14,058 vehicles.

The popular EcoSport finished 2016 as the leader of the compact SUV segment with retail sales jumping 36 per cent to 5,413 vehicles.

The Transit remained the bestseller in the commercial van and bus segment with record sales of 6,850 units, a year-on-year increase of 22 per cent.

The sporty Fiesta saw sales increase 14 per cent to 949 units.

The US-imported, premium Explorer SUV, equipped with a 2.3L EcoBoost engine, made its local debut at the Vietnam Motor Show in October, and provided a year-end boost by selling 111 vehicles. — VNS