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em>More carmakers are now offering models based on a global platform to reduce costs while at same time paying attention to the local needs. PT Ford Motor Indonesia (FMI) currently invites The Jakarta Post’s Novan Iman Santosa and number of other Indonesian journalists to Bangkok to attend the launch of Ford Ranger pickup truck as well as the Bangkok International Motor Show 2011.

American carmaker Ford Motor Company, the only one that escaped the 2008 financial crisis, launched its next generation global compact pickup truck, the All-New Ford Ranger in Bangkok on March 23 in a launching event inviting journalists from Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Vietnam in addition to host Thailand.

The new Ranger will be made at the Auto Alliance Thailand (AAT) facility in Rayong, Thailand with an investment of some US$50 million, Ford ASEAN president Peter Fleet told reporters at the launch event.

Thailand will be accompanied by Argentina and South Africa as the production centers for the new Ranger to be sold in 180 countries.

“The production will start sometimes mid this year,” he said.

Australia and New Zealand will get the new Ranger in the third quarter this year followed by Thailand in the fourth quarter.

Indonesia, the Philippines and Vietnam will get the pickup truck in the first quarter of 2012.

Ranger will then be followed by the All-New Ford Focus, which has been marketed in the region.

Fleet said the remaining six other models will be “completely new and have never been sold” in the region.

PT FMI president director Will Angove said the new Ranger will only enter Indonesia in March followed by All-New Focus in July.

Meanwhile, Ford Asia Pacific and Africa president Joe Hinrichs said compact trucks were global phenomenon with similar and consistent requirement throughout all markets across the world.

“Customers want truck toughness and capability. They don’t want a car,” he said.

In a separate interview after the launch event, Hinrichs said Ford was very excited with the growth in Indonesia.

“We believe the Indonesian market can surpass Thailand this decade,” he told Indonesian journalists.

“Rest assured, we watch closely the Indonesian market.”

When asked on whether Ford would sell an multipurpose vehicle (MPV) model in Indonesia, Hinrichs said there was nothing to announce today.

“But we understand where the volume is in Indonesia,” he said.

While Thailand is known as the world’s largest market for pickup truck, the Indonesian market prefers the MPV more.

This year the Indonesian automotive market is forecast to be between 800,000 to 850,000. There were around 745,000 vehicles sold in 2010.

On the possibility of opening a manufacturing plant in Indoensia, Fleet said Ford’s first priority was to get the Thailand plant up and running.

“We have a policy to open a manufacturing plant only after the sales reach certain numbers,” he said.

Ford also has no plans yet to market its hybrid models in ASEAN although the carmaker has several hybrid models.

As for PT FMI’s plan this year, the company would also focus on expanding its dealers network in anticipation of the new models.

“Currently we have 33 dealers across the nation including the recently opened in Manokwari, West Papua,” Angove told Indonesian journalists.

“We will open eight more in on Jl. Pemuda and in Cibubur, Bekasi and Tangerang in the Greater Jakarta area as well as in Batam, Cirebon, Kudus and Tegal.”

Angove added the dealers in Bekasi and Tangerang would cost Rp 30 billion built on a plot of land of about 4,000 square meters.

“We aim to have some 100 dealers in five years,” he added.

He emphasized that Ford paid so much attention to customers’s satisfaction.

“We try to solve any complaints on the same day. We will fly our mechanic to cities where the local dealers cannot fix a problem,” he said.

PT FMI sold 8,871 vehicles in 2010 with Angove declining to reveal this year’s sales forecast. He only said that the company sold some 500 to 600 of Ford Fiesta hatchbacks every month.