New Ford Ranger Advertising Campaign In Thailand...

[Kwasaki]

I never though I would say this about a Ford....."I quite like the look of it".

Pity they only have a pissy 2.2 engine.

BANGKOK, Thailand, 11 Nov., 2011 – The all-new global Ford Ranger has more than enough muscle and backbone to get the job done – and in a highly fuel-efficient manner that will keep both the customers and their wallet equally happy.

Ranger’s new powertrains are at the heart of its exceptional capability and have been developed to suit a spectrum of uses. Three new engines are offered:

Duratorq TDCi 2.2L VG Turbo: a four-cylinder diesel engine with peak torque output of 375 Nm and power output of 110 kW (150 PS)

Duratorq TDCi 3.2L VG Turbo: a five-cylinder diesel engine with a stump-pulling torque of 470 Nm and power rated at 147 kW (200PS)

This is not pissy at all

Duratec 2.5L iVCT: a four-cylinder petrol engine which produces 226 Nm of torque and outstanding power of 122 kW (166 PS).

I suppose global doesn't mean Thailand have been wrong many times before, like when I saw " V " on the back of a Tuna I though it meant V6.

Edited February 8, 2012 by Kwasaki

[MoonRiverOasis]

It is amazing that none of the car companies have a decent English website. GM's not too bad, but none of them really good.

Farang represent such a small fraction of the buying public, that it just doesn't matter. Hence why you don't see any Ads for new cars popping up on ThaiVisa, but you'll see them everywhere on Thai language websites...

And GM's whole website is half-assed But GM have never really "got" the internet before, so no reason to expect their Thai efforts to suddenly break the mold

MRO,do you really think that Internet alone can change the image of some "bad behavior" from the past..??

No, I'm saying that the average new Ford buyer (Thai) has either never bought a car before, or, has never bought a Ford before - so there's no bad experiences for them to forget, or for Ford to overcome.

However, It's very clear that those using the internet to do their new car research generally end up taking internet-based advice over "local wisdom" (in quotation fingers). It's pretty apparent even on these forums - and Thai's are no different

Edited February 8, 2012 by MoonRiverOasis

[transam]

BUT, it is so eeeeeeeeeeeeasy to put stuff in English to make sales.

[MoonRiverOasis]

Ford CM is building a new facility and it's all gonna look like the "others" at least...hope,with a bit of imagination,they can hire some good mechanics as well...I'll stick with Ford,as long as they will keep me satisfied with the good service! After all it is not that hard,just copy the guys from the West

Ford's target for 2012 is to increase their Thai dealership count by 30% over what it was in 2011 (The new 'Ford American Motors' CM dealership is part of the 2011 count BTW). That will bring them up to 130, or roughly half of Toyota.

As for mechanics, all brands have the same problem when it comes to skills.. You only get what you pay for, and there's no mainstream brand that pays more...

Your best hope there is good diagnostic tools, good documentation, decent parts availability, and of course, individual experience. Ford have the first 3 well sorted, but the latter only comes with time, and is every brand's problem. Especially given the massive dealership expansion efforts being undertaken by all tier-2 brands - there's a lot of 'green' service techs out there, in every brand.

Edited February 8, 2012 by MoonRiverOasis

[MoonRiverOasis]

BUT, it is so eeeeeeeeeeeeasy to put stuff in English to make sales.

It's also easy to put it in Japanese (which I'm sure some execs would like), and that'd probably be equally effective as English (i.e. hard to justify even minimal effort).

Edit: Somewhere between 60,000 and 100,000 new cars are purchased in Thailand every month. Of those, a maximum of 1% (600-1000 units) can somehow be attributed to Farang buyers/sponsors. From a website perspective, that means it's more worthwhile trying to support web browsers like Internet Explorer 5 and Netscape Navigator 4 (which these days, would be considered ludicrous).

Edited February 8, 2012 by MoonRiverOasis

[katabeachbum]

BUT, it is so eeeeeeeeeeeeasy to put stuff in English to make sales.

It's also easy to put it in Japanese (which I'm sure some execs would like), and that'd probably be equally effective as English (i.e. hard to justify even minimal effort).

Edit: Somewhere between 60,000 and 100,000 new cars are purchased in Thailand every month. Of those, a maximum of 1% (600-1000 units) can somehow be attributed to Farang buyers/sponsors. From a website perspective, that means it's more worthwhile trying to support web browsers like Internet Explorer 5 and Netscape Navigator 4 (which these days, would be considered ludicrous).

ad to that, most of the foreigners buying cars in Th are +60yo, and dont really search info online, except you guys

Howcome is a company like Expat Motors could live for a decade, oh cause the foreigners could get info there, and thus confidence, face to face, in English language

[transam]

BUT, it is so eeeeeeeeeeeeasy to put stuff in English to make sales.

It's also easy to put it in Japanese (which I'm sure some execs would like), and that'd probably be equally effective as English (i.e. hard to justify even minimal effort).

Edit: Somewhere between 60,000 and 100,000 new cars are purchased in Thailand every month. Of those, a maximum of 1% (600-1000 units) can somehow be attributed to Farang buyers/sponsors. From a website perspective, that means it's more worthwhile trying to support web browsers like Internet Explorer 5 and Netscape Navigator 4 (which these days, would be considered ludicrous).

ad to that, most of the foreigners buying cars in Th are +60yo, and dont really search info online, except you guys

Howcome is a company like Expat Motors could live for a decade, oh cause the foreigners could get info there, and thus confidence, face to face, in English language

Not seen E.P. motors here for a while.

[katabeachbum]

BUT, it is so eeeeeeeeeeeeasy to put stuff in English to make sales.

It's also easy to put it in Japanese (which I'm sure some execs would like), and that'd probably be equally effective as English (i.e. hard to justify even minimal effort).

Edit: Somewhere between 60,000 and 100,000 new cars are purchased in Thailand every month. Of those, a maximum of 1% (600-1000 units) can somehow be attributed to Farang buyers/sponsors. From a website perspective, that means it's more worthwhile trying to support web browsers like Internet Explorer 5 and Netscape Navigator 4 (which these days, would be considered ludicrous).

ad to that, most of the foreigners buying cars in Th are +60yo, and dont really search info online, except you guys

Howcome is a company like Expat Motors could live for a decade, oh cause the foreigners could get info there, and thus confidence, face to face, in English language

Not seen E.P. motors here for a while.

they are gone, but not sure if we are allowed to say why, I know you TA know why

[skybluestu]

Was reading in The Nation yesterday that Ford's sales are up 67% over last year mainly due to increased Fiesta and new Ranger sales. With the new Focus out soon and more and more people becoming aware of just how good the new Ranger is I imagine it will be even better next year.

[mogandave]

Assuming the new Ranger does (as I expect it will) indeed turn out to be a good as it looks.

That said, lot of people buying new cars and trucks this year due to the flood and tax incentives. Shorter lead times on the Fiesta make it very attractive compared to Toyota and Honda.

[funcat]

By the comparison,does anybody know how much the Th Motor Corporations spend on advertising here??..or is it set by the global offices? What I mean is,is Th a sole entity,or decided by Ford(or others) in general...numbers please...

[NanLaew]

That's the one I drove past yesterday afternoon - didn't stop, but nothing out front to "advertise" the new model. They were both out front a couple of weeks ago, when you posted the photos.

Gee... I guess they sold 'em. Aint that a bitch?

Udon Ford dealer had 3 on the apron for about a week but they miraculously disappeared as well. I did see one of them parked a few weeks later outside a shophouse in town with red plates on and wondered, 'How did THAT happen?'

[NanLaew]

It is amazing that none of the car companies have a decent English website. GM's not too bad, but none of them really good.

My wife also gets torqued that there's no decent Thai websites in the UK. Or the US.

Amazing.

[NanLaew]

In the early 1980's in Pattaya, I bought a Ford Telstar TX-5 since it was about 80,000 baht cheaper than the Mazda 626 that all the Thai's were buying at that time. Same underpinnings, different panels and badging. Waited more than 3 weeks for the nearest dealership in Chonburi to get a 'new' one for me despite the fact that I was the ONLY person who took their showroom model for a test drive. Getting that unusual (for Thailand) privilege in itself ate up over a week of cajoling and pleading. Servicing was a major pain in the arse too as the nearest Ford service shop was in Bangkok!

It's much better now apparently.

[mogandave]

It is amazing that none of the car companies have a decent English website. GM's not too bad, but none of them really good.

My wife also gets torqued that there's no decent Thai websites in the UK. Or the US.

Amazing.

Torqued? Really makes me no never-mind. I would not be surprised if they did not have websites in English, what I find amazing is that that large US owned companies have crappy websites. It’s not so much the language, but often links and whole sections of the sites don’t work correctly. The internet has become the research tool of choice for a lot of consumers, and to have a crappy site that doesn’t work well generally does not instill a lot of confidence. I would liken it to a having a cheap, crappy brochure for a high end product.

You might try referring your “torqued” wife to Thai companies that are marketing their products in the US, they generally all have sites in both Thai and English.

Just sayin’

[mr3cho]

Was reading in The Nation yesterday that Ford's sales are up 67% over last year mainly due to increased Fiesta and new Ranger sales. With the new Focus out soon and more and more people becoming aware of just how good the new Ranger is I imagine it will be even better next year.

I'm wondering why you guys assume that the Ranger will be so good? It's a brand new design and manufacturing line. A reoccurring, difficult-to-diagnose and fix electrical problem would be such a headache. Only time will tell but why so confident? I haven't kept up with the Fiesta's reputation but a friend of mine has had so many issues with her 2007-ish Focus.

[Ethan79]

I bought a ford fiesta 1 yr back. I wish I can go back in time and buy the mazda2 instead.

FORD HAS TERRIBLE SERVICE - It's absolutely horrible.

Where should I start.

First the regularly servicing (which I did at month 9 despite only driving it for 8000km instead of the 15000km) took me 3 weeks to book. I called 3 different dealer and 3 weeks was the fastest. I came back with a 1500b labour fee and a small scratch which they insisted was there in the first place. I had to rush to an urgent meeting so did not have the time to have a long argument.

My insurance is up, so the insurance company send me a renewal form for my Honda City. Yes...my honda city...I suppose I can't blame Ford for this but since insurance was arrange via them, I can't help but scratch my head and wonder what happen.

Now 2 months after I did my servicing, when I turn my steering wheel, there is a loud sound - As though it's changing cogs when I am turning my wheel. I fail to understand how a 1yr old car which has just undergone servicing can have that. But fine, I call up Ford on tues. I need to send my car down for the mechanic to check 2 weeks later, if they find fault, I will have to rebook another time for me to send the car for servicing.

I lost it at this time. I told them if my car gets into an accident and I lose control of the car, I will sue Ford. I also told them after I put down I am calling their head office to complain. I got a booking finally on friday.

I am totally disgusted with Ford nowadays. It's like they are just getting the car out of the door and then screw you after that. I can't believe their service of 1 day parts delivery if I can't even get a service booking. If this is the way that they are trying to expand and climb the ranks, I doubt it will ever be successful. I for sure will never buy a Ford again nor ever recommend anyone to.

Maybe they will do a great customer service recovery tomorrow and get me to think of Ford as a decent brand again...but I am highly doubtful.

[funcat]

I bought a ford fiesta 1 yr back. I wish I can go back in time and buy the mazda2 instead.

FORD HAS TERRIBLE SERVICE - It's absolutely horrible.

Where should I start.

First the regularly servicing (which I did at month 9 despite only driving it for 8000km instead of the 15000km) took me 3 weeks to book. I called 3 different dealer and 3 weeks was the fastest. I came back with a 1500b labour fee and a small scratch which they insisted was there in the first place. I had to rush to an urgent meeting so did not have the time to have a long argument.

My insurance is up, so the insurance company send me a renewal form for my Honda City. Yes...my honda city...I suppose I can't blame Ford for this but since insurance was arrange via them, I can't help but scratch my head and wonder what happen.

Now 2 months after I did my servicing, when I turn my steering wheel, there is a loud sound - As though it's changing cogs when I am turning my wheel. I fail to understand how a 1yr old car which has just undergone servicing can have that. But fine, I call up Ford on tues. I need to send my car down for the mechanic to check 2 weeks later, if they find fault, I will have to rebook another time for me to send the car for servicing.

I lost it at this time. I told them if my car gets into an accident and I lose control of the car, I will sue Ford. I also told them after I put down I am calling their head office to complain. I got a booking finally on friday.

I am totally disgusted with Ford nowadays. It's like they are just getting the car out of the door and then screw you after that. I can't believe their service of 1 day parts delivery if I can't even get a service booking. If this is the way that they are trying to expand and climb the ranks, I doubt it will ever be successful. I for sure will never buy a Ford again nor ever recommend anyone to.

Maybe they will do a great customer service recovery tomorrow and get me to think of Ford as a decent brand again...but I am highly doubtful.

My worries exactly...love the new track,but do they have a new strategy to improve the service??...telling the truth,I'm always worry whenever I need to do any kind of service here....there is always a possibility that something else will be busted,scratched,or some parts left over,or missing..."mai pen dri"...

[mogandave]

I’m not clear how Mazda’s service is perceived to be so much better than Ford’s, as many (if not most) of the dealerships used shared resources.

Assuming you don’t get a lemon, how critical is scheduling an oil change every 15Km?

[culicine]

I’m not clear how Mazda’s service is perceived to be so much better than Ford’s, as many (if not most) of the dealerships used shared resources.

Assuming you don’t get a lemon, how critical is scheduling an oil change every 15Km?

It's critical because you have a major oil leak lol sorry couldn't resist.

I just haven't heard too much bad news about mazda, mostly about ford, but it seems to depend on the particular dealership.

[funcat]

It is possibly a local thing,but the image goes global,so there should be at least some general guidance from the corporate factor...IMO

[MaiChai]

I dont believe in brand loyalty. Probably because i want the best technology at the best price. I shop around and buy the product that fits my need and offers good tech at a good price.

Ford are renown for giving alot for your money. So i can understand their fast growth in Thailand, despite their late entry.

[MoonRiverOasis]

I dont believe in brand loyalty. Probably because i want the best technology at the best price. I shop around and buy the product that fits my need and offers good tech at a good price.

Which makes you... somewhat like most of the buying public these days

[katabeachbum]

I dont believe in brand loyalty. Probably because i want the best technology at the best price. I shop around and buy the product that fits my need and offers good tech at a good price.

Which makes you... somewhat like most of the buying public these days

I am brand loyal,

in the grocery store

pick the usual items from the makers I know have provided quality stuff previously. makes shopping easy

as for cars, I have no loyalty to any brand any segment. In Th a good aftermarket service has to be considered, so do importduties, so cars like VW Golf and Hyundai 30 does not make it to my list of small cars. To bad, but one has to adapt to local conditions