Triton brings the challenge to competitors
The bakkie war has intensified with the local launch of Mitsubishi’s next-generation Triton, an evolution in the iconic bakkie’s 46-year legacy.
- Product News
- 21 November 2024
Ford Credit and Kelfords Ford recently surprised one of their customers with the perfect post-lockdown surprise.
“We were happy to learn that one of Kelfords’ customers was the winner of the recent Ford Credit finance competition, in which one new Ford owner won a R100 000 down payment on his or her vehicle finance,” says Tristan Kelly, the Dealer Principal at Kelfords.
Tristan was even happier after a phone call to the randomly drawn winner – Warren Smith – revealed that the young father has been hit hard by the post-lockdown economic slump and that the money would help him and his family survive these tough times.
Warren bought a brand-new Ford EcoSport after he spent some time behind the wheel of his parents’ EcoSport and fell in love with the driving position, ride quality and low fuel consumption.
“My parents recently bought a similar vehicle from Kelfords, and we were so impressed with their car’s better mileage that we started thinking about it. When they told us about the brilliant customer service they received from the Kelfords sales team, so we went to have a look,” says Warren.
Warren financed his new EcoSport through Ford Credit, which was hosting a finance-repayment competition in partnership with, Ford Credit South Africa, a joint venture entity formed between Absa Bank Limited and Ford Credit International. The competition ran for close on a month, before the hard lockdown, and the subsequent halt to vehicle sales also stopped any retail promotion.
With the finance application approved, the Kelfords team delivered the new EcoSport to the Smith family shortly before the lockdown.
But the family’s excitement was short-lived after wife Jana heard that her position was to be made redundant. This left Warren as the only breadwinner and worrying over the family budget and vehicle repayments.
“And then, just when we thought we made a mistake, we heard that we’d won the competition, which nearly halved the amount we owed!” says Warren.
Ford Credit and Absa paid the R100 000 shortly after having randomly selecting him as the winner and learning about Jana’s unfortunate situation.
A ceremonial hand-over of the down payment was made on 10 October at Kelfords in Somerset West, with Warren, Jana and little Lyla in attendance. The hand-over was made by Tristan and also attended by Alf Martin, a regional representative Ford Credit.
The bakkie war has intensified with the local launch of Mitsubishi’s next-generation Triton, an evolution in the iconic bakkie’s 46-year legacy.
Unlike in the past, when dealerships primarily waited for customers to come to them, we now take a more proactive approach, bringing our vehicles directly to places where people gather, allowing them to experience the product first-hand, including offering test drives,” says Gerrie van der Kaay, Dealer Principal at Supergroup Dealerships Jetour Midrand.
JAC Motors added ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) to its X200 2.8L TDI 1.5-tonne single-cab, enhancing safety for both the crew and cargo. This latest upgrade complements the ABS-equipped X200 1.3-tonne double-cab targeted at organisations with labour-intensive crews.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Have you ever noticed that anybody driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac?
George Carlin
Unlike in the past, when dealerships primarily waited for customers to come to them, we now take a more proactive approach, bringing our vehicles directly to places where people gather, allowing them to experience the product first-hand, including offering test drives,” says Gerrie van der Kaay, Dealer Principal at Supergroup Dealerships Jetour Midrand.
One of the latest Chinese automotive brands to establish itself in South Africa, GAC Motor, is benefitting from the expertise of well-known motor groups in the country, like the BB Motor Group.
Stellantis has announced the expansion of its multi-franchise dealer network with the addition of the Fiat and Jeep brands to the existing Westvaal Motor Group dealership in Klerksdorp in North West Province.