Al Tayer Motors has given Ford Trucks its UAE debut at the Big 5 2014.
The dealership used the Dubai trade show as a platform to introduce a brand new range of heavy commercial vehicles to the Emirates.
Ford Trucks and Al Tayer have chosen to showcase three of the new models at the Big 5: the 1843 T tractor head, the 3535 D 6×4 tipper, and the 4135 M mixer.
“[Medium-to-heavy] commercial vehicles is a segment that is expected to witness strong growth, given the huge investments being made in real estate and infrastructure projects across the UAE,” commented Martin Penny, Al Tayer’s general manager for Ford and Lincoln sales, speaking at the launch.
“The addition of Ford Trucks to our portfolio complements our existing range and will enable us to cater to additional industry sectors,” he added.
Although Al Tayer has exercised caution with regards sales forecasting, the dealer is confident that the time is right for Ford Trucks to enter the UAE market.
“In our business plan, we’ve taken a very modest view,” said Penny.
“We expect to retail around 30 units in the first year of sales. We then have a five-year business plan. With new vehicles coming on stream in the next few years with brand new power-train units, we would expect – particularly with the award of Expo 2020 in the UAE – there to be massive investment in infrastructure, commercial and industrial usage.
“We feel this is absolutely the perfect time to enter into the heavy-and-medium truck business. As usual, Al Tayer has taken a conservative view in business planning. We’ll then try to smash that target to bits,” he explained.
Ford’s cargo vehicles are manufactured in Turkey by Ford Otosan. Initially produced for the domestic market, the company has been exporting its trucks since 2010.
Ford Otosan is currently in the process of rolling out its vehicles across the Middle East. The Big 5 launch took place just a day after the range received its Saudi Arabian debut in Riyadh. The firm’s general manager, Haydar Yenigün, is aware that he and his colleagues are entering a competitive marketplace, but is confident that Ford Trucks’ suite of incentives will be sufficient to tempt fleet owners away from established brands.
“We need to make ourselves attractive, or customers won’t change their trucks” he told PMV.
“We need to be attractive, not only in terms of pricing, but also in areas like flexibility. For example, if I can respond rapidly to special vehicle requests, I know I can get in front of the competition. Pricing, quality, reliability, durability, fuel consumption; the customer wants everything and we must fulfil customer needs. When customers see opportunities to improve their businesses, we must be able to facilitate them,” he concluded.
Al Tayer has dedicated part of its Al Ittihad Road showroom in Dubai to the display of Ford Trucks, and has now officially opened its doors to prospective customers. The cargo vehicles will also be available from Premier Motors’ Mussafah showroom in Abu Dhabi.
The Big 5 2014 is currently taking place at Dubai World Trade Centre. For full coverage of the show, check out the December 2014 issue of PMV Middle East.
