Having made its Middle East construction vehicles debut in late 2014, Ford Trucks is now taking on its more established rivals in a highly competitive sector. 

It may have a long-standing motor vehicles heritage in the Middle East, but Ford Trucks finds itself as one of the newest market entrants in the regional construction vehicles market. Nevertheless, having put its construction vehicles through a gruelling two-year testing exercise in the harsh operating environments of Saudi Arabia and the UAE in the run up to the November 2014 regional launch, the company says it is up to speed and competing strongly in the region.  

“We wanted to make sure that once we entered the market we could deliver superior quality,” explains Ercan Emrah Duman, director, International Markets, Ford Trucks, referring to the two-year exercise which provided the data upon which the company’s GCC-spec vehicles were devel-oped.

The credentials of the mixers, tippers and cement pump containers – manufactured in Turkey by Ford Otosan, jointly owned by Ford Motor Company and Turkey’s Koc Holding – which are sold across the Middle East are being sorely tested in the current challenging business environment. Therefore, says Duman, the brand’s reputation for ruggedness, reliability, power, comfort, lower total cost of ownership and after-sales back-up is even more relevant and valued today.

“The Middle East is more competitive than Europe,” he acknowledges. “There are only seven or eight companies in Europe, but here we also compete against Chinese, Japanese and Korean companies. The market here is also more price-sensitive – it is a parameter that you cannot ignore.”

That said, Duman insists that Ford’s brand name still goes a long way in the Middle East.

“Ford means vehicle dynamics, driving dynamics, driving quality, and durability and robustness. We have more than 2,000 parts on the truck but I always say the most important part is the logo on the grille,” he says.

The 4143M mixer ... powerful.

The leading commercial vehicles manufacturer showcased its 2017 line-up of the powerful Construction Series at The Big 5, the region’s leading building and construction exhibition, held in Dubai last month.  At the show along with its UAE dealer Al Tayer Motors, Ford presented its new 4143M mixer (eight-by-four axle with Ecotorq 12.7-litre engine) and 3543M mixer (six-by-four axle, also with Ecotorq 12.7-litre engine) alongside the 1843T tractor.

According to Duman, the 12.7-litre engines generate 22 per cent more horsepower and 55 per cent more torque than their nine-litre predecessors, and are tailored to customer requirements in the GCC. 

The automated transmission option – a new feature in the Construction Series – with off-road, rocking and economy modes, assists drivers in keeping their vehicle sure-footed on virtually any terrain.  The new 400 KW engine brake provides the driver with firm control while climbing steep slopes in earth-moving and cutting sites. A 22 per cent improvement in turning radius over the previous generation significantly reduces the number of manoeuvres in tight site conditions.

To ensure driver comfort, the vehicles have isolated cabs to optimise air-conditioning performance, while they also have improved radiator and filtration systems, in addition to GCC-spec transmission oil and hydraulic fluids.

“We have a good market share especially for mixers in the UAE and Qatar, though overall Saudi Arabia is our largest GCC market for construction vehicles, accounting for 60 per cent of the regional market in normal years,” Duman notes. 

“Such is the importance of the Saudi market that we will soon be opening a dedicated office in Riyadh to serve the kingdom and Bahrain,” he adds.

Ford Trucks is backed by an extensive dealership network covering all GCC states except Kuwait, where, says Duman, a dealer is expected to be appointed in early 2017.