Ford Fusion Hybrid, Transit Connect sweep car, truck honors at Detroit auto show
Ford Motor Co., the only domestic automaker that avoided bankruptcy in 2009, continued its hot streak by sweeping the top awards in the North American Car and Truck of the Year competition.
The 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid earned the Car of the Year award, and the 2010 Ford Transit Connect won Truck of the Year honors, officials announced this morning at the Detroit auto show.
Ford Americas President Mark Fields celebrates the automaker's car and truck awards.
Nathan Bomey | AnnArbor.com
Mark Fields, Ford’s president of the Americas, said the awards were an “affirmation” of Ford’s strategy.
“We feel so honored about this award,” Fields said.
The awards mark the third time in the 17-year history of the awards that one manufacturer has won both honors.
The sweep is sure to be seen as another sign of Ford’s impressive momentum in the midst of the global economic crisis. The automaker in 2009 deftly avoided the bankruptcy fates shared by General Motors and Chrysler.
The company refused to accept government spending, and its strategy is paying off in the form of increased market share.
The 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid won the North American Car of the Year award.
Nathan Bomey | AnnArbor.com
“Even though 2009 was a year we will never forget, we continue to make progress on our plan to create an exciting, viable and profitable Ford moving forward,” Ford CEO Alan Mulally said this morning.
The Fusion Hybrid - the fourth hybrid vehicle to win car or truck of the year - outpaced the Buick LaCrosse and the Volkswagen Golf/GTI to win Car of the Year. The Ford Transit Connect beat the Chevrolet Equinox and Subaru Outback.
The North American Car and Truck of the Year competition is not run by the Detroit auto show committee. A group of 49 auto journalists vote on the awards.
Contact AnnArbor.com’s Nathan Bomey at (734) 623-2587 or nathanbomey@annarbor.com. You can also follow him on Twitter.