Ford swept the North American Car and Truck of the Year awards on Monday to kick off the Detroit auto show. The Fusion hybrid earned 241 votes to beat out the Volkswagen Golf (146) and the Buick LaCrosse (103) in the car category.
The Transit Connect tabulated 213 votes to defeat the Chevrolet Equinox (183) and the Subaru Outback (94) in the truck section. It's just the third time that one automaker has won both categories in the 17-year history of the awards. The finalists were announced in December.
“This is a reaffirmation that we're focusing on product, we're focusing on customers,” said Mark Fields, Ford's president of the Americas. A picture of 2010 Ford Transit ConnectFord The 2010 Ford Transit Connect In 2009, the Hyundai Genesis won North American car of the year--a historic first victory for a Korean automaker--and the Ford F-150 took top honors in the truck category.
Vehicles must be new or substantially changed to be considered. More than 50 vehicles were considered this year, and 16 cars and 10 trucks were culled from that field for the ballot. The awards are voted on by 49 automotive journalists in the United States and Canada.