Ford has worked hard in recent months to give its dealers around the globe more tools and programs to sell vehicles, including Blue Advantage’s new 14-day, 1,000-mile money-back guarantee and a new Quick Lane service center in Brazil, to name a couple. Meanwhile, Ford South Africa has remained in major flux as it works to transform its business in that region, where it has traditionally enjoyed some tremendous success in both the used and new vehicle markets. The latest effort in that regard is Ford Approved, a used car retail model that has recently gained some serious traction in South Africa.
Ford Approved – a unique pre-owned showroom with modernized services – has expanded in a big way across the automaker’s South African dealer network in recent months and currently includes 94 dealerships with roughly 1,800 vehicles listed for sale. Ford has continuously improved this program over time as well, giving it a new and more intuitive website that allows customers to not only browse available inventory but also arrange for financing, purchase extended service plans, schedule a test drive, and begin the trade-in process prior to final inspections.
In addition to these services, Ford Approved dealers also complete a 160-point quality check on the vehicles they sell, provide 12 months of roadside assistance, as well as the balance of remaining service or maintenance plans. Vehicles eligible for this program must be no more than five years old and can’t have more than 120,000 kilometers (74,564 miles) showing on the odometer.
“Circumstances like the COVID-19 pandemic have placed more economic strain on individuals and families and have contributed to significant growth in the used car market,” said Eben Swart, Ford Approved Manager. “The demand for our vehicles has significantly increased in this segment and we want to be top of mind when people are considering a pre-owned vehicle. With Ford Approved we strive to give customers the same experience and professional service as they would receive when buying a new vehicle from Ford.”
We’ll have more on all of Ford’s used vehicle programs soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for 24/7 Ford news coverage.
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