Ford Mondeo Claims Fifth 'Car Of The Year' Title

Ford Mondeo Claims Fifth New Zealand 'Car Of The Year' Title

The Ford Mondeo, which has established itself as one of the best selling new cars in New Zealand as well as the clear leader in the medium size car segment, has been crowned the New Zealand Motoring Writers' Guild Car of the Year for 2001.

The New Zealand Motoring Writers' Guild, which represents journalists working for daily and specialist print media, radio, television and websites around the country, awarded the Ford Mondeo the award after taking into account factors including performance, design, quality, environmental care, safety, and value for money.

There were almost 50 new vehicles launched between January 1 and December 31, 2001, which were assessed by the New Zealand Motoring Writers' Guild.

New Zealand Motoring Writers' Guild President, Rob Maetzig, said that part of the appeal behind the new Ford Mondeo was its obvious development and refinement over the previous model.

"That underlines the excellence of the new Ford Mondeo. As an all-round motoring package it is without peer, and what has impressed Guild members is the high level of safety that it offers throughout the range, from the base two-litre model to the most expensive V6 version."
Managing Director of Ford New Zealand, Nigel Harris, described the New Zealand Motoring Writers' Guild award as 'the icing on the cake,' after almost a year of success following the launch of the new vehicle range.

"The Ford Mondeo has been one of the best received new vehicles that we have delivered to the New Zealand market in recent years," he said.

"It has been a runaway success in terms of vehicle sales, and the popularity that it has enjoyed in the showroom has been reflected in the awards that it has won."

As with the four other New Zealand Car of the Year awards received, Mondeo was praised for its smart new styling, genuine drivability, safety specification and value for money.

As well as the 2001 New Zealand Motoring Writers' Guild award, the Ford Mondeo has also won Car of the Year awards presented by the National Business Review, New Zealand Company Vehicle Magazine, Autofile and New Zealand Autocar Magazine.

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