Four Ford winners: What Car? awards for, from left, Focus ST, Fiesta, Mondeo five-door and estate
Ford, the UK’s favourite car brand, triumphed at the 2013 What Car? Awards, winning an unprecedented four trophies.
While the acclaimed Ford Mondeo took Best Family Car and Best Estate awards for the third year running, the new Ford Fiesta and Focus ST also received accolades from What Car?.
Ford’s trophy haul of four awards is the most the top-selling car brand has won in the event’s 25-year history. Ford’s success at the 2013 What Car? Awards comes in the same week as latest vehicle sales figures confirm the company has sold the most cars in the UK for 36 consecutive years and been top commercial vehicle brand for 47 years.
Mighty Mondeo
The Ford Mondeo remains both the UK’s Best Family Car and Best Estate according to What Car?, the leading car buyer’s guide. In reaffirming the flagship Ford’s 2012 and 2011 achievements in both categories, What Car? said: “The Mondeo is rewarding to drive, with agile handling and a comfortable ride. It will satisfy the family man and the business user, being as assured on twisty lanes as it is on motorways.
“The Ford Mondeo estate is spacious enough to keep even the tallest adults happy, while its boot can cope with everything from the family dog to furniture.”
Award-winning new Fiesta
As the new Ford Fiesta goes on volume sale this month, What Car? has already declared it Best Supermini. Fiesta has been the UK bestseller for four consecutive years and saw sales rise by 14 per cent to almost 110,000 cars in 2012.
“If ever a car feels like it has been touched by greatness, it’s the Ford Fiesta,” said What Car? “Freshly face lifted for 2013, it now comes with sweeter engines and improved safety credentials.”
Sporty ST
The 154mph Ford Focus ST, available as both a five-door and an estate, is Ford’s first global performance car. Yet its turbo-charged, direct-injection 2.0-litre EcoBoost engine returns 39mpg while delivering CO2 emissions of 169g/km.
In making it Best Hot Hatch, What Car? said: “Fast and thrilling when you want it to be, yet also perfectly happy pottering around town or trundling along the motorway.”
Chas Hallett, What Car? editor-in-chief, said: “Ford really deserves its four What Car? category awards, it’s a fantastic achievement. It’s great to see a mainstream volume car maker building award-winning cars.”
Mark Ovenden, Ford Britain managing director, said: “Ford’s flying start to 2013 has been accelerated by winning so many What Car? Awards. Fiesta, Focus and Mondeo are the most familiar models in Ford’s line-up, so What Car? recognising each of them is a fine testimony to our latest range.”
