As many prospective car buyers struggle to secure finance for their cars, Ford Ireland, tells us that through its bank Ford Credit, it is making available €5m credit for a special 10-day long promotion currently underway.
Ford has also announced that all customers availing of the finance will receive a €1,000 allowance towards their deposit. The offer applies to any new Ford car ordered for 2010 and financed between now and next Monday November 16.
Ford Ireland managing director, Eddie Murphy, believes the offer will give many motorists the confidence to enter the 2010 car market. “There is a perception out there that banks just aren’t willing to finance cars in the current climate, with the result that prospective buyers are not even making enquiries,” he said.
“Through our bank, we’re ‘putting our money where our mouth is’ this winter, both in terms of making credit available, and also in sweetening the deal with a €1,000 deposit allowance,” Mr Murphy said. “Many customers who believed a 2010-reg car was beyond them will be pleasantly surprised next week to see it actually is do-able.”
In tandem with the finance deal, Ford has announced a number of special offers with the New Year market in mind. They tell us Ireland’s best-selling car, the Ford Focus Style, is available with a 1.6TDCi 90bhp engine which includes air conditioning, alloy wheels, fog lights and Bluetooth voice control as standard for just €21,750 ex-works. This lower-emission Focus attracts a band rating A, keeping annual road tax bills at just €104.
Ford also tells us that it has managed to reduce the emissions of the Mondeo’s powerful 2.0 litre 140 bhp TDCi engine, thereby also reducing the price of the Zetec edition, with alloys, dual zone air conditioning, cruise control and Bluetooth voice control all included for just €29,995, while road tax comes down to just €302. Meanwhile, the Mondeo Style 1.8 TDCi, with alloys, front fogs and Bluetooth, starts from just €26,995.
Ford’s also excited about their Kuga crossover which is re-introduced for 2010 with ESP, alloy wheels, air conditioning and front fogs as standard on the popular Zetec 2WD model for €27,945.
“We’re meeting our customers’ concerns head-on as we enter the 2010 pre-sell period,” comments Eddie Murphy. “Firstly, we’re making finance more accessible. Secondly, we’re offering €1,000 allowance on all cars ordered for 2010 and financed over a 10-day period in November. And on top of that we’ve developed a suite of car packages that I think represent the best value we have ever offered.”
