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FORD
SWEEPS
N.A. CAR
AND
TRUCK OF
THE YEAR
AWARDS
•Ford
swept
the
North
American
Car and
Truck of
the Year
awards
today at
the
North
American
International
Auto
Show
(NAIAS),
winning
both
prestigious
awards
for the
2010
Ford
Fusion
Hybrid
and the
2010
Ford
Transit
Connect,
respectively
•It is
the
third
time in
17 years
that one
manufacturer
has won
both
awards
•The
Ford
Fusion
Hybrid
is
America’s
most
fuel-efficient
midsize
sedan
with an
EPA-estimated
41 mpg
rating
in the
city and
36 mpg
on the
highway,
topping
the
Toyota
Camry
hybrid
by 8 mpg
in the
city and
2 mpg on
the
highway
•The
Transit
Connect
is an
industry-exclusive
vehicle
developed
to be a
smart
new
choice
for
small
business
owners;
it
offers
double
the fuel
economy
of
full-size
vans,
generous
and
accessible
cargo
space,
and the
agility
and
maneuverability
to
operate
in
crowded
urban
areas
DETROIT,
Jan. 11,
2010 –
Ford
Motor
Company
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).
It is
only the
third
time in
17 years
that one
manufacturer
has won
both
titles.
“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
North
American
Car and
Truck of
the Year
awards
recognize
vehicles
based on
factors
including
innovation,
design,
safety,
handling,
driver
satisfaction
and
value
for the
dollar.
A jury
of 49
automotive
journalists
in the
United
States
and
Canada
vote for
the
vehicles,
which
must be
“all-new”
or
“substantially
changed”
from the
previous
model to
qualify
for the
award.
The
Fusion
Hybrid
edged
out
finalists
including
the
Buick
LaCrosse
and
Volkswagen
Golf/GTI
to win
the
North
American
Car of
the Year
award.
It is
the
fourth
hybrid
vehicle
in 17
years to
win
recognition
as North
American
Car (or
Truck)
of the
Year. It
also is
the
second
hybrid
win for
Ford –
the most
hybrid
wins for
any
automaker.
The Ford
Escape
Hybrid
was
named
North
American
Truck of
the Year
in 2005.
The
Transit
Connect
bested
finalists
including
the
Chevrolet
Equinox
and
Subaru
Outback
to win
the
North
American
Truck of
the Year
award.
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.
Last
year,
top
honors
went to
the 2009
Ford
F-150.
Fusion
Hybrid a
winner
out of
the gate
The
North
American
Car of
the Year
award is
the
latest
in an
impressive
string
of
awards
and
accolades
for the
Fusion
Hybrid.
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.
Ford
Motor
Company
introduces
the new
2010
Ford
Fusion
Hybrid,
America's
most
fuel-efficient
mid-size
sedan at
the 2008
LA Auto
Show.
Photo
by: Sam
VarnHagen/Ford
Motor
Co.
The
all-new
Fusion
Hybrid
arrived
in
dealers
in
March,
complete
with a
powertrain
system
that
combines
the best
attributes
of the
gasoline
engine
and
electric
battery-driven
motors
to
deliver
the
optimal
experience
for the
customer
in terms
of
driving
performance
and fuel
economy.
The
Fusion
Hybrid
also
offers
drivers
a way to
be more
connected
to the
hybrid
driving
experience
thanks
to
Ford’s
SmartGauge™
with
EcoGuide,
a unique
instrument
cluster
execution
that
helps
coach
them on
how to
optimize
the
performance
of their
hybrid.
Other
class-exclusive
technologies
and
features
that set
the
Fusion
Hybrid
apart
from the
competition
include
Blind
Spot
Information
System (BLIS®),
Ford
SYNC®,
SIRIUS
Travel
Link™
and more
total
passenger
and
luggage
capacity
than the
Toyota
Camry.
Despite
the
slump in
overall
industry
sales,
2009 was
a
record-breaking
year for
the Ford
Fusion.
Sales
are at
an
all-time
high,
with the
Fusion
Hybrid
accounting
for
almost
20
percent
of total
Fusion
retail
sales.
Perhaps
even
more
significant,
more
than 60
percent
of
Fusion
Hybrid
sales
have
been to
customers
coming
from
import
brands –
mostly
Toyota
and
Honda.
Awards
and
accolades
for the
2010
Ford
Fusion
Hybrid
include:
•MOTOR
TREND
Car of
the Year
Award
•One of
CAR and
DRIVER
Magazine’s
“10Best”
Cars for
2010
•One of
AUTOMOBILE
Magazine’s
2010
All-Stars
•2009
“Top
Safety
Pick”
rating
from the
Insurance
Institute
for
Highway
Safety
•2009
Ward’s
Interior
of the
Year
Special
Achievement
Award
for Best
Graphic
Display
for
SmartGauge
with
EcoGuide
digital
instrument
cluster
•Great
Car for
the
Long-haul
Salesman
by
Kelley
Blue
Book
kbb.com
•One of
America’s
Top 40
New Cars
by MOTOR
TREND
magazine
•Rated
the No.
1 Hybrid
Family
Sedan by
CAR and
DRIVER
in a
recent
comparison
test by
the
magazine
•2009
and 2010
Editors
Choice
for Fuel
Sipper
by CAR
and
DRIVER
Magazine
•Best
Hybrid
for the
Money in
the
Midsize
Car
segment
by
cars.com
•One of
2009 Top
10 Green
Cars by
Kelley
Blue
Book
kbb.com
•The
Detroit
News
Readers’
Choice
Award
for
“Best
Value”
•2010
Consumers
Digest
Best Buy
•Detroit
Free
Press
2010 Car
of the
Year
•2010
Most
Environmentally
Progressive
Car of
the Year
by
Earth,
Wind &
Power
•10 Best
Engine
by
Ward’s
Auto
World
The 2010
Fusion
Hybrid
is built
at
Ford’s
Hermosillo
(Mexico)
Stamping
and
Assembly
Plant.
Transit
Connect
fills
unmet
needs of
small
businesses
and
fleets
The
Transit
Connect
was
brought
to the
U.S. to
fulfill
the
unmet
needs of
small
business
owners
and
entrepreneurs,
offering
them a
new
vehicle
choice
with
significantly
improved
fuel
economy,
generous
and
accessible
cargo
space,
and the
agility
and
maneuverability
to
operate
in
crowded
urban
areas.
2010
Ford
Transit
Connect:
Transit
Connect
is an
all-new
commercial
vehicle,
specifically
developed
with the
unique
needs of
small
business
owners
in mind.
Transit
Connect
is
spacious,
economical,
and
durable.
Powered
by a
2.0-liter
I-4
engine
with a
four-speed
automatic
overdrive
transmission,
the
Transit
Connect
offers
double
the fuel
economy
of
full-size
vans,
delivering
an
EPA-estimated
22 mpg
city and
25 mpg
highway.
The
Transit
Connect
also has
more
than
double
the
cargo-carrying
capacity
of the
Chevrolet
HHR
Panel,
making
it
suitable
for a
broader
range of
commercial-use
applications.
And it
offers
commercial
users a
cargo
payload
of up to
1,600
pounds –
a larger
payload
than the
full-size
Dodge
Ram 1500
standard-cab
short-box
pickup
truck.
The
Transit
Connect
also is
available
with the
industry-exclusive
Ford
Work
Solutions™,
a suite
of
affordable
technologies
that
provides
customers
with
connectivity,
flexibility,
visibility
and
security
to
better
run key
aspects
of their
business.
On
Transit
Connect,
Ford
Work
Solutions
delivers
three
innovative
features:
•A
wireless
in-dash
computer
that
provides
full
high-speed
Internet
access,
Bluetooth-enabled
hands-free
calling
and
navigation.
The
system
also
allows
customers
to print
invoices,
check
inventories
and
access
documents
stored
on their
home or
office
computer
networks
right on
the job
site.
•Tool
Link™, a
Radio-Frequency
Identification
(RFID)
asset
tracking
system
that
enables
customers
to
maintain
detailed
real-time
inventory
of the
tools or
equipment.
•Crew
Chief™,
a fleet
tracking,
telematics
and
diagnostics
system
that
provides
dynamic
location
and
performance
data
fleet
owners
need to
more
efficiently
manage
their
vehicles,
quickly
dispatch
workers
to job
sites,
monitor
driver
performance
for
safety
and
economy,
and keep
detailed
vehicle
maintenance
records.
Awards
and
accolades
for the
2010
Ford
Transit
Connect
include:
•2010
Editors
Choice
for Vans
by CAR
and
DRIVER
Magazine
•Detroit
Free
Press
2010
Truck of
the Year
•The
Detroit
News
2010
Truck of
the Year
•2010
Popular
Mechanics
Automotive
Excellence
Award
for Best
Workhorse
Vehicle
•A Great
Car for
the
Small
Business
Delivery/Utility
Worker
by
Kelley
Blue
Book
kbb.com
The 2010
Ford
Transit
Connect
is built
at the
Ford
Otosan
Kocaeli
Plant in
Kocaeli,
Turkey.
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