2013 Ford C-MAX Hybrid Named
2013 International Truck of the Year
by Road & Travel Magazine
Sponsored by
For Immediate Release
DETROIT, January 14, 2013 - Road & Travel Magazine announced today the winner of its 2013 International Truck of the Year, the 2013 Ford C-MAX Hybrid.
2013 Ford C-MAX Hybrid - Read Review
2013 International Truck of the Year
See ICOTY Awards Special Issue
The 17th annual International Truck of the Year trophy was presented to Ford Group Marketing Director of Electrification, C.J. O’Donnell. Presenters included Courtney Caldwell, Editor-in-Chief and founder of Road & Travel Magazine; and Bridgestone sponsor and OE president, Mike Martini.
“Ford is honored to receive the 2013 International Truck of the Year Award from Road & Travel Magazine. We’ve seen a phenomenal response to C-MAX Hybrid. Our customers are excited to have a fresh hybrid option that gives them the fuel efficiency they want, without sacrificing the fun-to-drive capability that they desire,” said C.J. O’Donnell, Group Marketing Manager, Electrification, Ford Motor Company.
 |
| Accepting the 2013 International Truck of the Year for the Ford C-MAX Hybrid is (l-r) is John Davis, C-MAX Chief Nameplate Engineer and C.J. O'Donnell, Group Marketing Director, Ford Motor Company. Presenting the trophy are ICOTY Founder Courtney Caldwell and Mike Martini, president Bridgestone Americas OE, and ICOTY sponsor. |
Because ride and handling can be so car-like in today's minivans and crossover vehicles, it's easy to forget that they are essentially trucks. Ford considers the C-MAX a truly multi-activity vehicle or MAV. We consider it a Maximum Utility Vehicle. After all, Ford alluded to that in naming it the C-MAX.
That said, here are just a few of the features that made the Ford C-MAX this year's winner...
We love the way the rear seats fold flat
over this hybrid's streamlined lithium-ion rear battery pack for a
nicely level expanded storage area that won't turn objects into projectiles. We dote on the little vine that sprouts and
grows leaves in increasingly large sizes as we cautiously tread on the
accelerator pedal for sensible ecological impact rather than blasting
it into tomorrow with no concern for the transport needs of future
generations.
We like the understated interior layout (with eight-inch,
touch/voice-activated navigation screen in our preview model) that
works simply while providing a virtual Pandora's Box of undiscovered
electronic goodies. That, of course, includes the ability to access
Pandora system music along with Bluetooth, CD input, USB connection
for our electronics, and the other features of Ford's SYNC and MyFord
Touch communications/entertainment system. Among its talents:
Importing phone content for hands-free calling.
And we love the
availability of such high-tech goodies and amenities as cross traffic
alert, heated side view mirrors, and especially that self-opening and self-closing
tailgate, one of our favorite features, that merely takes a slight kick under the rear fascia to
activate by one with two arms fully loaded with grocery bags or cackling kids. We appreciate the two small,
in-floor storage bins secreted behind the front seats for safely
stowing our iPad out of sight.
All of these goodies pale in comparison to the foundation of the
C-MAX. It's a gasoline-electric hybrid system designed to get the most
out of a small gasoline engine that charges up an electric motor
driving system. The vehicle can run on electricity alone at speeds as
high as 47 miles per hour as long as batteries remain charged, or with
augmented power generated by the gas engine and by the regenerative force of braking that pumps additional electricity into the driving motor batteries. The more driving done on pure electricity, the less need to burn gasoline on the road. The system can churn out the
equivalent of 188 horsepower so during those fun deficit times when
one can't resist flooring it to rejuvenate the spirit, the C-MAX
actually lives up to the need for muscle and speed.
Bridgestone, longtime lead sponsor and supporter of the ICOTY Awards, recognizes the consumer-product relationship as critical to vehicle success.
“Bridgestone is proud to support the ICOTY awards, and applauds the efforts of these automakers that like our company demonstrate a strong commitment to innovative technology,” said Michael Martini, president, Consumer OE, Bridgestone Americas. “Through the combined efforts of everyone in the auto industry, and led by automakers like those being recognized today, we will continue to meet and exceed the demands of the motoring public.”
"We would like to thank Bridgestone Tire for sponsoring the 2013 International Car of the Year Awards," said founder Courtney Caldwell. Their continued annual support has allowed us to honor automakers for vehicles that not only relate to consumer lifestyles and connect on an emotional level, it has provided RTM with the opportunity to elevate awareness on how people feel about their cars, and thus help revolutionize, the way agencies now market and advertise cars to consumers on an international level.
SEE ALL 2013 INTERNATIONAL CAR OF THE YEAR WINNERS
About ICOTY
The ICOTY Awards were founded in 1996 by Courtney Caldwell, editor-in-chief of Road & Travel Magazine. Its unique and pioneering theme was created by Caldwell to recognize automakers that successfully design and market their vehicles to consumer lifestyles eliciting an emotional connection to, and passion for, the cars they own and drive, which translates into consumer loyalty. Today, many automakers use the ‘emotional connection’ theme in their national marketing and advertising campaigns to connect with consumers.
Media Contact: Courtney Caldwell
Phone: 310.322.8000
Email:ewpmedia@gmail.com
www.icotyawards.com
