Ford Korea expects its sales this year to grow by at least 30 percent on-year through a combination of fuel-friendly cars and aggressive investment.

“We are confident about achieving this goal,” said Jung Jae-hee, president of Ford Sales and Service Korea as well as chairman of the Korean Automobiles Importers and Distributors Association, in an interview with The Korea Herald.

The 30 percent target is about double the 15 percent growth rate expected by experts and industry watchers for the imported car market as a whole.

Ford has much to offer Korean customers, who are now becoming more and more efficiency-conscious, Jung said.

The All New Fusion Hybrid, which is capable of running 18.9 kilometers to the liter, was unveiled at the Seoul Motor Show that began on Thursday. Its fuel efficiency is the highest for its size in the hybrid segment in Korea.

Another car to note, this time in the compact segment, is the Focus diesel, Jung said.

“The Focus diesel, for instance, has a fuel efficiency of up to 17 kilometers (per liter), which beats out (Volkswagen’s) Golf,” he said.

The Focus diesel model, together with steady sellers such as the Explorer and the Taurus, is expected to continue leading Ford Korea’s growth, Jung added.

Meanwhile, Ford’s signature Mustang GT was also on exhibition. Jung said the Shelby GT500, a high-performance variant of the Mustang, was expected to go on sale in Korea in about two years.

Jung noted that the Mustang, despite being perhaps a bit too distinctive for the usually more conservative Korean customer, sold a steady 30 units or so a month.

By Kim Ji-hyun (jemmie@heraldcorp.com)