The Ford Transit Connect and the Ford Fusion Hybrid have been named the North American Car and Truck of the Year at the North American International Auto Show.
The front-wheel drive compact van with a base price of $20,780 offers high fuel economy and a reasonable price.
The Transit Connect's 136-horsepower, 2.0-liter engine and four-speed automatic transmission provide adequate acceleration, and its small size makes it easy to park and maneuver.
The Ford Fusion gets 41 m.p.g. in city driving. This is the third time in 17 years that a company has swept both awards.
The DNews tells us 50 models were considered for the honor this year.
The finalists for car of the year were the Ford Fusion hybrid, the Buick LaCrosse and the Volkswagen Golf. Among new trucks, the finalists were the Subaru Outback crossover wagon, the Ford Transit Connect and Chevrolet Equinox crossover.
Last year, the Hyundai Genesis sedan was named car of the year and the F-150 pickup grabbed top truck honors. Hyundai Motor Co.'s win was the first by a Korean in the 18-year contest.
Later today, Ford will announce that they are bringing work back from Mexico to Michigan. Governor Granholm, MEDC, and Bill Ford will hold a press conference on tax credits that will allow Ford to further its work on electric vehicles, amount as yet to be determined.
Both Detroit papers have extensive coverage on the Auto Show - follow the Freep coverage here and the DNews here for the latest.