Ford Ranger takes out Hilux for top-selling ute of the year

The New Kiwi #1; Ford Ranger takes out Hilux for top-selling ute of the year

• Ford Ranger ends Toyota Hilux’s 32-year sales run in New Zealand

• The most-awarded ute, the Ford Ranger adds more trophies in December; NZ4WD Drive Magazine’s “OVERALL 4WD of the Year 2014”, NZ Herald’s Driven “Commercial Vehicle of the Year 2014”

• Ford is the one to watch in 2015 - Ranger was just the start

AUCKLAND, 5 January 2015 – New Zealand has a new number one! The Ford Ranger has knocked off the Toyota Hilux and become New Zealand’s new number one ute in the country.

According to provisional sales figures, the Ford Ranger was not only the top selling ute for the month of December with more than 700 sold, but was also overall leader for 2014 with a total of 6345 sold.

“It’s a fantastic result for the Ford Ranger and we’d firstly like to thank all of our Ranger customers and our dealers throughout New Zealand for their support,” said Corey Holter, Managing Director Ford New Zealand. “A lot of attention was put on the sales race this year but we’ve always said it’s about the customer and leaving it up to them to decide. Well, the customer has decided and there is a new number one in New Zealand. We are very proud of the Ford Ranger.”

Award Winning

In addition to being the number one selling ute in New Zealand, the Ford Ranger is also New Zealand’s most awarded truck. The Ranger has won numerous trophies every year in New Zealand including most recently NZ4WD Magazine’s “4WD Utility of the Year 2014”, NZ4WD Magazine’s “OVERALL 4WD of the Year 2014”, and the New Zealand Herald’s Drive Magazine’s “Commercial Vehicle of the Year 2014”.

Notably, the Ford Ranger was the first ute to win the prestigious AMI and NZ AutoCar “OVERALL Car of the Year” award and in late 2014, the Ford Ranger won another “Best in Class” award from the Automobile Association and Motoring Writers’ Guild - the third year in a row!

Capability, Refinement and 5 Star Safety

Chris Masterson, Marketing Manager, Ford New Zealand cites overall value as the main driver for the Ford Ranger’s success.

“It’s a highly competitive segment and to be honest Kiwis are spoilt for choice when it comes to tough utes,” said Masterson. “However the Ford Ranger offers so much more than just toughness. The entire range possesses unmatched levels of refinement. In addition to the Ranger’s reliability and capability, customers appreciate the smart technology, the great design and the 5- Star Safety rating for all models both 2WD and 4WD. Bottom line is the Ford Ranger offers the customer much more for their investment.”

Ford is the one to watch in 2015

The year ahead is looking to be another record breaking year for Ford New Zealand with almost 10 new vehicles being introduced. Corey Holter said that while the success of the Ford Ranger is certainly cause for celebration, it’s just the beginning for New Zealand.

“As excited as we are about the success of the Ford Ranger, we’re even more excited about 2015,” said Holter. “We are launching an unprecedented number of new vehicles this year that we are confident will follow in the Ranger’s footsteps. Just to name a few, the all new Ford Mondeo arrives in early 2015, followed by the new Focus, the all new Ford Everest and we round out the year with the all new Mustang which has everyone hugely excited!”

“Ford is the one to watch in 2015.”

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