The FINANCIAL — The Ford Fusion Hybrid midsize sedan was named the 2010 North American Car of the Year on Monday morning at the Detroit auto show, while the Ford Transit Connect won Truck of the Year.
Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) scored a historic doubleheader today, capturing both the North American Car of the Year and North American Truck of the Year awards for the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid and 2010 Ford Transit Connect, respectively, at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), according to PR Newswire.com.
"Winning both of these prestigious awards is confirmation that the ONE Ford plan is working, delivering industry-leading products for our customers," said Mark Fields, president of The Americas, the same source reports.
The finalists for car of the year were the Ford Fusion hybrid, the Buick LaCrosse and the Volkswagen Golf. Among new trucks, the finalists were the Subaru Outback crossover wagon, the Ford Transit Connect and Chevrolet Equinox crossover, according to Det News. Last year, the Hyundai Genesis sedan was named car of the year and the F-150 pickup grabbed top truck honors. Hyundai Motor Co.'s win was the first by a Korean in the 18-year contest.
This is the 17th year for the awards, the same source reports. A panel of 49 North American automotive journalists selects the winners based on innovation, design, safety, handling, driver satisfaction and value. A model must be substantially changed or new to be eligible. More than 50 models were considered this year.
The awards were presented Monday morning on the first day of media previews for the show, as AP informs.
The Transit Connect bested finalists including the Chevrolet Equinox and Subaru Outback to win the North American Truck of the Year award, according to PR Newswire.com. It is the sixth Ford truck to win the award – the most wins of any automaker in the 17-year history of the awards program. It also is the second year in a row that Ford has captured the title.
The North American Car of the Year award is the latest in an impressive string of awards and accolades for the Fusion Hybrid, the same source reports. Most recently, the vehicle was honored as CAR and DRIVER Magazine's "10Best" Cars for 2010, one of AUTOMOBILE Magazine's 2010 All-Stars, and the entire Fusion lineup captured the acclaimed MOTOR TREND Car of the Year award.
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