Ford has come a long way from the day Henry Ford told customers they could buy their Model T in any color their heart desired, so long as it was black.
Fast forward to today and, from Arctic White to Blue Lightning, there are more than 20 paint color options available on the Ranger and Everest across the Ford International Market Group (IMG) which consists of Australia and New Zealand, ASEAN, North and South Africa and Middle East markets.
With all that choice you might expect new car buyers to have become adventurous when selecting the color of their vehicle. After all, according to Krista Lindegger, Color and Materials Designer, Ford Australia, “Color is what adds personality and enhances the surface design.”
Across the UAE and Kuwait, Meteor Grey was the top-selling color across Everests, while Saudi Arabian customers – Western and Eastern – expressed a preference for Rangers in Carbonised Grey.
Grey Rangers Rule
When it comes to the crunch, Ranger buyers prefer to keep things simple. According to sales data from Ford Middle East, nearly 27% of all Rangers sold in the last six months were painted Carbonised Grey or Metallic Grey.
While Saudi Ranger customers preferred Carbonised Grey, Conquer Grey was the second-most popular in the UAE (after Absolute Black). Kuwait saw an equal number of both Grey shades sold on Ranger.
The other three popular shades for the rugged pickup were Moondust Silver (13.5%, driven by Saudi demand), Agate Black Metallic (12.7%, the most popular color in Kuwait), and Frozen White (11.9%).
The Dark Side of Everest
Consumer preferences in the region take a darker hue for the Ford Everest, with Absolute Black accounting for 25.2% of sales, followed by Meteor Grey (22.5%) and Aluminium Metallic (17.7%). The lone light shade to make the Everest top five is Snow Flake, White Pearl at 17.2%, with Equinox Bronze making up 9.2% of the Everest Middle Eastern sales mix.
Absolute Black was the most popular color among Everest buyers in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, coming second in Kuwait (after Meteor Grey).
“Looking at the data, it’s interesting to see how buyer preferences vary across these two distinctive nameplates”, said Pedro Simoes, Marketing and Commercial Vehicle Director at Ford Middle East. “For example, we’ve seen a strong preference for Absolute Black Everests, while Metallic Silver/Grey hues are exceedingly popular with Ranger drivers. Our customers spend a lot of time in these vehicles, and they are looking for diversity – choices of color that represent their unique lifestyle.”
Visit your local distributor to discover what shade of Ranger or Everest fits you best.