The 2010 Ford Fusion was named Motor Trend's Car of the Year. Can it also grab the crown in the upcoming North American Car of the Year?
In a surprising move, Motor Trend magazine has named the Ford Fusion its Car of the Year, a decision that’s bound to give even more momentum to the first domestic midsize car in years giving serious challenge to import mainstays like the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord.
The Fusion beat out a field of several dozen strong contenders, noted the magazine’s editor, Angus MacKenzie, including the new Chevrolet Camaro, which many expected to take the coveted annual award.
The 2010 Fusion, said Ford President Mark Fields, during a ceremony at the company’s suburban Detroit headquarters, has “really done a lot for our image, and it’s done a lot for our sales and market share.”
Fusion was also praised, late last month, by Consumer Reports magazine, as best in segment, beating out both the Camry and Accord in the non-profit publication’s annual study of vehicle quality and reliability.
That strong showing was one reason the magazine’s editors declared that, “Ford is the only domestic automaker producing vehicles with world-class reliability,” during a speech to Detroit’s Automotive Press Association.
The 2010 Fusion underwent relatively minor updating – with the exception of the new Fusion Hybrid, a gasoline-electric vehicle that shocked industry observers by delivering four miles per gallon better fuel economy than the competing Camry Hybrid.
That has led organizers of the highly-regarded North American Car of the Year awards to break out the Fusion Hybrid as a separate model, one that is believed to have a strong appeal to the group’s 50-member jury of U.S. and Canadian journalists. That award will be announced in January, at the opening ceremonies of the Detroit Auto Show
Ford’s latest victory comes as its stock surged another 3.1%, to close Tuesday trading at $8.98. Of course, other factors may have helped, including news that billionaire investor George Soros has snapped up $52.9 million of the company’s shares.