Detroit 2010: Ford Fusion Hybrid Named North American Car of the Year
The Ford Fusion Hybrid has been named North American Car of the Year, beating out the other two finalists, the Buick LaCrosse and the Volkswagen Golf.
The announcement kicked off the festivities at the 2010 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The Ford Fusion received the nod from a panel of 49 journalists from the United States and Canada.
The Ford Fusion Hybrid boasts an EPA-estimated 41 mpg in the city, 36 mpg on the highway, numbers which Ford says make it America’s most fuel efficient mid-sized sedan.
The victory marked just the second time Ford has won the North American Car of the Year Award. FoMoCo last won the award in 2000 with the Ford Focus.
Domestic automakers have now won North American Car of the Year nine times in 17 years. The Ford Fusion Hybrid is also the fourth hybrid to receive the award, and the second Ford hybrid, following the Ford Escape Hybrid in 2005.
The Ford Transit Connect also won North American Truck of the Year, marking the third time a manufacturer swept both awards in a single year.
“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 Hyundai Genesis Sedan received the honor at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show.
Gallery: Ford Fusion Hybrid, North American Car of the Year
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Congratulations to Ford! The Ford Fusion Hybrid, the Electric Fiat 500, the Toyota FT-CH, and the Honda CR-Z hybrid are all great eco-friendly cars: lets hope for more like them as the Auto Show continues. If you are interested in hybrids, fuel cells, or any other green technologies, check out http://www.greencollareconomy.com. It has hundreds of case studies on emerging green tech and the largest b2b green directory on the web.