DETROIT, Michigan (AFX) - The Chrysler 300 luxury sedan was voted "car of the year" by a panel of journalists at the North American International Auto Show on Sunday, as Ford's hybrid Escape won top truck honors.
Chrysler's 300, a full-size car with a distinctive grille, beat out finalists including the sportier Chevrolet Corvette and Ford Mustang.
The Escape topped the new Land Rover LR3 and the Ford Freestyle.
To be eligible, vehicles must be "all new" or "substantially changed" from the previous model.
Ford division president Stephen Lyons said the automaker is having trouble keeping up with demand for the company's first hybrid model and the first American gasoline-electric hybrid after the technology was brought to the US market by Toyota and Honda.
"It's the first SUV hybrid," Lyons said. "It's unique. You get all the advantage of hybrid fuel economy and the practicality of an SUV."
Lyons noted that it is an advantage to be first to market with a hybrid SUV, ahead of Toyota and General Motors, which are planning to introduce their own models to the United States in 2005 and 2006.
"Very clearly there's a demand way beyond what we thought," he said, noting that the 20,000 units planned for US production this year "won't be nearly enough."
Additionally, he said consumers are willing to pay the premium of 3,000 to 3,500 usd per vehicle.
"The way they're selling, it doesn't seem to be a problem," he said.
It was the second year in a row that a hybrid vehicle has been honored by the group. Last year the Toyota Prius was the North American Car of the Year.
A hybrid uses an electric motor to boost or temporarily replace a conventional gas or diesel engine, resulting in reduced emissions and better fuel economy.
Each year since 1994 the jury of automotive journalists representing newspapers, magazines and television honors a new car and a new truck that set the new standard in their segments in areas including innovation, value, safety, ride and handling.
Chrysler, a unit of Germany's DaimlerChrysler, produced the rear-drive 300 sedan, which is called a 300C when equipped with its Hemi engine.
rl/kd/tr
For more information and to contact AFX: www.afxnews.com and www.afxpress.com
Chrysler's 300, a full-size car with a distinctive grille, beat out finalists including the sportier Chevrolet Corvette and Ford Mustang.
The Escape topped the new Land Rover LR3 and the Ford Freestyle.
To be eligible, vehicles must be "all new" or "substantially changed" from the previous model.
Ford division president Stephen Lyons said the automaker is having trouble keeping up with demand for the company's first hybrid model and the first American gasoline-electric hybrid after the technology was brought to the US market by Toyota and Honda.
"It's the first SUV hybrid," Lyons said. "It's unique. You get all the advantage of hybrid fuel economy and the practicality of an SUV."
Lyons noted that it is an advantage to be first to market with a hybrid SUV, ahead of Toyota and General Motors, which are planning to introduce their own models to the United States in 2005 and 2006.
"Very clearly there's a demand way beyond what we thought," he said, noting that the 20,000 units planned for US production this year "won't be nearly enough."
Additionally, he said consumers are willing to pay the premium of 3,000 to 3,500 usd per vehicle.
"The way they're selling, it doesn't seem to be a problem," he said.
It was the second year in a row that a hybrid vehicle has been honored by the group. Last year the Toyota Prius was the North American Car of the Year.
A hybrid uses an electric motor to boost or temporarily replace a conventional gas or diesel engine, resulting in reduced emissions and better fuel economy.
Each year since 1994 the jury of automotive journalists representing newspapers, magazines and television honors a new car and a new truck that set the new standard in their segments in areas including innovation, value, safety, ride and handling.
Chrysler, a unit of Germany's DaimlerChrysler, produced the rear-drive 300 sedan, which is called a 300C when equipped with its Hemi engine.
rl/kd/tr
For more information and to contact AFX: www.afxnews.com and www.afxpress.com
© 2005 AFX News
