FORD Philippines is building its 50th dealership facility in the country in Talisay City, Cebu in anticipation of the rising demand for vehicles in the province.

Fairline Automative Ventures Inc.’s (Favi) Andre and Jose Daniel Borromeo said the facility will mark “the growing preference for the Ford brand nationwide.”

“This is to serve every need and budget of emerging Filipino customers. The construction of Ford Talisay is yet another important milestone for Ford Philippines and this will expand our retail presence to new customers,” PK Umanshakar, managing director of Ford Philippines, said.

For 2019, the car brand reported a strong finish with record sales for its Ford Ranger pickup truck.

“As part of a global strategy, we are moving towards strengthening our pickup and sports utility vehicle (SUV) lineup and we see this coming into play with the launch of new Ford vehicles this year that cater to the growing consumer demand for SUVs and pickups in the Philippines. We are confident that this focus will boost our business this year and in the years to come,” EJ Francisco, Ford Philippines assistant vice president for communications, said.

The facility has a total floor area of 1,397 square meters. It features a six-car showroom display with 12 service bays for automotive sales and service delivery.

With the construction of the third bridge, which will connect mainland Cebu to Mactan Island via the South Road Properties, Andre said the facility will serve existing and new Ford consumers.

“This is for the convenience of our consumers for the southern part of Cebu. We also believe that it’s the right time to invest in Talisay City since the local economy here is booming,” he said.

Ford Talisay is expected to follow the new global dealership branding guidelines of Ford, showcasing a more globally aligned exterior and interior look and feel called Ford Signature, to offer customers a better dealership environment and experience.

The new dealership facility will also be enabled by new technological features that will help facilitate a faster and more customer-focused sales and after-sales delivery.

It also aims to connect the customer’s purchasing journey with the on-ground, in-store environment—paving the way for a more connected, seamless and best-in-class automotive retail experience.