DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, 17 March, 2008 - Ford has a shot at having one of its vehicles named World Car of the Year (WCOTY), with the all-new 2008 Mondeo surviving preliminary balloting to become one of the three finalists for the award.
The winner -- which is selected by a panel of 47 auto journalists from around the world -- will be announced on March 20, at the New York Auto Show.
Mondeo reached the finals by beating an initial list of 39 vehicles from across the world. In order to make it to the finalist list, a vehicle must satisfy rigid criteria in terms of styling, performance, handling and comfort and then go beyond those criteria to prove its value, safety, significance, emotional appeal and environmental responsibility.
WCOTY is a program initiated, organized and conducted by automotive journalists from all over the world. It is administered by a non-profit corporation, under the guidance of a Steering Committee of automotive journalists from Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Russia, Sweden, Turkey, and the United States.
While the result is traditionally announced at the New York Auto Show, the award itself has no affiliation with any auto show, publication, automaker or other commercial enterprise.
Along with the WCOTY and the design award, the organization also honors the World Performance Car of the Year and the World Green Car.
The Ford Mondeo debuted at last year's Geneva Motor Show. Since then the Mondeo has won praise from auto critics and been named the Auto Express Car of the Year.
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About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles in 200 markets across six continents. With about 260,000 employees and about 100 plants worldwide, the company's core and affiliated automotive brands include Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lincoln, Mercury, Volvo and Mazda. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford's products, please visit www.fordvehicles.com.
Ford Motor Company's history in the Middle East goes back to nearly 60 years. The company's local importer-dealers operate more than 55 facilities in the region and directly employ over 4,000 people, the majority of whom are Arab Nationals. For more information on Ford Middle East, please visit www.me.ford.com.
Ford Middle East is also a responsible corporate citizen in the region, with the Ford Motor Company Conservation & Environmental Grants, a grass-root level program that has offered USD600,000 in grants to over 75 Middle Eastern environmental projects since 2000. For more information, please visit www.ford-environmentalgrants.com.
© Press Release 2008
