|
CAUSED
by the drastic rise in oil prices and shifting world
preference for cars and business operations, Ford Group
Philippines Inc. recently announced major developments
in their company, front-lined by the introduction of a
new technology and corporate repositioning in the
Asia-Pacific region.
In a
roundtable discussion, Ford Philippines president Rick
Baker announced the production of a new gas engine that
is highly fuel-efficient and also boosts performance at
an astounding level.
Tagged
as the Ecoboost gas turbo direct-injection engine or
GTDi, Baker said it is the gasoline engine equivalent of
the diesel turbo TCDi.
Baker
also said the new engine has a 20-percent better fuel
economy performance than all other engines in the market
and has 15 percent lower CO2 emissions. It is also
expected to drastically increase power, lifting an
ordinary 1.6-liter engine to the performance of, at most
a 2.0-liter engine.
But Ford
did not stop there. Tonette Lee, marketing head of Ford,
announced the production of a limited-edition Ford
Escape NBX. Lee says Ford has been swamped by requests
or queries for a model that has the look and feel of a
4x4 without the heavier drivetrain. The NBX delivers
this demand on a 4x2 platform, giving the driver all the
perks of a 4x4 except it is a 4x2. Lee says they have
only asked for 100 units, which will be sold at P1.07
million.
There is
another vehicle on the firing line, but Ford is
withholding the model’s identity until its launch date.
“But to give you a hint, it’s also designed for
all-terrain use,” Ford executives said.
Meanwhile, Baker announced that Ford has performed
superbly this year, and they are expecting to achieve
breakeven sales by 2009. “We are restructuring the
company today in such a way that we can deliver exactly
what our market needs in these times when drastic
changes are happening all over the world.”
Ford has
also begun accelerating its investment in smaller cars
to compete in the global shift to automobiles with
higher fuel efficiency and cheaper costs. Their biggest
baby today is the Ford Fiesta, a small car that can
rival those of Honda’s and Toyota’s City and Vios,
respectively.
The
Fiesta is scheduled for launch worldwide this year and
in 2010, Mexico will be mass-producing the car for the
North American market in anticipation of the American
shift to lower gas-consuming cars due to the high cost
of fuel. “We really think the days of cheap gas—90 cents
a gallon—are gone and will not come back. That is why
Ford is preparing to meet the new demands in North
America even before it comes,” commented Baker.
Baker
also added that the Fiesta will be their global car,
which will be sold all over the world and probably be
their new trademark, much like the Mustang and the
Escort were in their time.
For now,
Baker says Asia-Pacific region and Africa will have the
biggest concentration of developments for Ford, with
$500 million going to Thailand alone, while the
Philippines will benefit from a $20-million investment.
At present, Ford Philippines is the only exporter of
completely built units to the Asean countries of the
more famous models of Ford, sending out 53,000 units in
all since they began.
Baker
revealed JD Power Associates data that shows 14 of
Ford’s cars are in the top three of their individual
segments with Mazda besting Toyota and Honda in the top
IQS. As it is, Ford said they have been doing very well
in the Philippines and they have expansion plans to meet
the demands, while new products are in the works to
further provide the Philippine market with what Ford can
offer their needs. |
