Ford Motor Co. this week sold its 1 millionth vehicle in Asia Pacific in 2016, reaching the milestone a month ahead of last year’s pace.

Ford sales in Asia Pacific continue to strengthen this year, culminating with record demand in August, according to the automaker. Ford sold 126,834 vehicles in the Asia Pacific region in August, up 22 percent versus a year ago, for a total market share in the region of 4.1 percent, Ford’s highest share ever for any single month.

“Reaching 1 million sales so quickly is a testament to the growing strength of our brand and products in Asia,” said Dave Schoch, president, Ford Asia Pacific. “Even with intense competition and challenging business conditions, Ford continues to grow and reach new customers in Asia Pacific.”

Ford said a key driver to growth has been its growing SUV lineup, with year-to-date sales up 17 percent compared with same time period last year. In fact, SUVs have accounted for 30 percent of Ford’s vehicle sales this year. The new Ford Edge, for instance, has become a hot seller in China, with year-to-date sales up three-fold since its introduction last year.

The introduction of the Ford Mustang has created a sensation in markets such as China, Australia, India and South Korea. The Ranger pickup also continues to thrive, with strong sales across the region, particularly in Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.

Ford saw best-ever August sales for a number of markets in Asia Pacific, including China, where sales for Ford and its joint venture partners rose 22 percent compared to August 2015. Thanks to the strong performance of Ranger and Transit, sales of Ford vehicles in Vietnam increased 57 percent in August, while strong performance of EcoSport, Ranger and Everest helped increase sales of Ford vehicles in the Philippines by more than 90 percent. In Thailand, Ranger’s market share was up to 10 percent in the pick-up segment in August for the first time ever.

“We are connecting with new customers with the most modern and expressive Ford lineup we have ever offered across Asia Pacific,” said Peter Fleet, vice president, marketing, sales and service, Ford Asia Pacific. “We will continue to grow our sales across the region through the rest of this year and into 2017 as we introduce more new vehicles and technologies, such as new Kuga with SYNC 3 launching now in China.”