Ford Scoops Up Four Accolades During Middle East Car of the Year Awards

The Ford Expedition, F-150, Tourneo Custom and Mustang GT have earned top honours during the prestigious Middle East Car of the Year (MECOTY) awards, held in Abu Dhabi last night.

Three of Ford’s longest serving nameplates were honoured during the event. The Mustang – which celebrates its 55thconsecutive year in production – was named Performance Coupe of the Year, and the all-conquering F-150 – America’s best-selling truck for the past 42 years - crushed its opposition as 2019 Middle East Truck of the Year. The Transit Tourneo – based on the Ford Transit which has been in production since 1965 – was named Executive MPV. The new generation Expedition, Ford’s flagship SUV and a nameplate that is a mere 23 years old – drove off with the honours as 2019 Large SUV of the Year.

The awards, now in their sixth year, are the most coveted automotive awards in the region, combining the expertise and experience of 19 motoring journalists from the GCC and Levant, who work through a multi stage nomination and scoring process to arrive at their list of winners.

“We’re thrilled to see Ford’s heritage shine through during this year’s awards,” said Jamie Rae, Marketing director of Ford Middle East.“The Mustang, F-150, Tourneo Custom and Expedition are four of the most important nameplates for Ford – and these underpin our continued drive to deliver the kind of vehicles customers in the region demand.”

The Ford Mustang – Performance Coupe of the Year

On its launch in 1964, the Ford Mustang gave rise to the pony car class of American muscle cars. Now in its sixth generation, the Mustang continues to excite a new generation of performance coupe fans, with a legendary 5.0-litre V8 that delivers an astounding 460 horsepower and 570 Nm torque via a choice of six-speed manual or 10-speed automatic transmission. With new dampers for better ride control, a new cross-axis joint in the rear suspension for increased lateral stiffness, and innovative stabiliser bars for sharper response, the Mustang remains a focused sports car with unrivaled handling, power and prestige.

TheMustang also features Ford’s first 12-inch all-digital LCD screen in the dashboard – fresh from the Ford GT. This all-new customisable instrument cluster can be easily personalised, offering three separate views: normal, sport and track mode.

The Mustang’s Quad Tip Active Valve Performance Exhaust allows owners to control the volume of the exhaust, from a Quiet Start function designed to keep neighbours happy during early morning starts, to the raucous Track setting where the full bark of the V8 can be enjoyed.

All-new Mustang MyMode with memory function allows customers to save their favourite drive settings, including suspension and steering preferences.

The Ford F-150 – Truck of the Year

Ford’s F-150 pickup is tougher, smarter, and more capable than ever, building on Ford’s 100 year-plus truck leadership. The new model features a refreshed bolder design with a rich array of new technologies that add on to the already class leading capabilities that the truck boasts.

Three years after introducing a high-strength, military-grade, aluminium-alloy-bodied F-150, the new truck arrives with bold new styling, advanced technologies, a segment-first 10-speed automatic transmission and F-150’s most advanced engine line-up yet.

An enhanced 5.0-litre V8 normally-aspirated engine features significant upgrades for 2018 including advanced dual port and direct-injection technology for more horsepower and additional torque. Spray-on bore liner technology, also featured in the Shelby GT350® Mustang, has been added to squeeze out even more weight from the aluminium block. For the first time, the V8 is paired with the 10-speed SelectShift automatic.

For best-in-class towing, the second-generation 3.5-litre EcoBoost twin-turbo V6 delivers roughly six tonnes of towing capacity thanks to its impressive 578 Nm torque. That level of power beats all diesel- and petrol-powered competitors, including V8 engines with nearly twice its displacement. With dual port and direct-injection technology, the 370-horsepower twin-turbo engine provides ideal low-end and peak engine performance for hauling heavy payloads and towing heavy trailers.

The Ford Expedition – Large SUV of the Year

With an all-new design inside and out, unique smart technologiesbest in class power and fuel economy, and more expected towing capability than any other full-sized SUV, the new generation 2018 Ford Expedition is the smartest, most capable and most adaptable Expedition ever.

A newly developed Terrain Management System™ includes Sand mode, which was developed and tested in the Middle East to give customers the kind of off-road ability they demand in the region. Other driving modes include normal for around-town driving, sport for more spirited trips, tow/haul for improved towing and hauling performance, eco for enhanced fuel economy, grass/gravel/snow for loose terrain, and mud/rut for uneven surfaces.

More than 40 features and driver-assist technologies new to Expedition help make the journey as enjoyable as the destination. These include class-exclusive enhanced active park assist to easily pull in and out of parking spots, as well as available 360-degree camera technology to help customers see more around their Expedition for easier parking.

On the road, Expedition’s technology and convenience features offer more driver assist systems and safety than ever before. Lane-keeping aid is designed to reduce unintentional drifting of the vehicle outside its intended lane, while adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go allows drivers to set a cruising speed, using radar and camera technology to monitor traffic to maintain a set distance between vehicles. Its collision avoidance detection system helps drivers avoid other vehicles or pedestrians, while available Blind Spot Information System helps monitor blind spots outside the driver’s immediate view.

But it’s the Expedition’s comfort and space that set it apart from the competition. With best in class seating space for up to eight people and their gear, this full-size SUV makes modern family adventures more comfortable during short and long trips alike.

The all-new Expedition is the first full-size utility to feature a sliding second-row seat with tip-and-slide functionality, providing easy access to the third row without the need to first remove a child safety seat. Once in the third row, even adults will appreciate more legroom and reclining seats.

Expedition’s second- and third-row seats can be quickly folded flat with the push of a button to open up a cargo area wide enough to handle 4x8-foot sheets of plywood and other gear, depending on cargo weight and load distribution, even with the liftgate closed.

The Ford Tourneo Custom – Executive MPV of the Year

Efficiency, practicality and flexibility are all key attributes of the internationally acclaimed Tourneo Custom. With a spacious, flexible interior, choice of powerful and efficient Duratorq turbo diesel engines, and convenience features designed to keep passengers comfortable, the Tourneo Custom has an unmatched pedigree.

With a bold new front end design, the Tourneo’s two sliding side doors open to reveal a spacious cabin that features unique in-segment rear seating that can recline – or be removed entirely. In fact, the seats can be arranged in a class-exclusive 30 different configurations.

Passenger comfort is further enhanced by new reclining seat designs featuring revised foam paddingand geometry for optimised support, plus improved refinement resulting from a significantly upgraded sound reduction package in the rear cabin. Cabin passengers will also appreciate the separate and dedicated air conditioning and climate control system for the rear, while the 12-volt power supply and two USB chargers will keep phones and other devices topped up on the go. An optional 230-volt power point is also available.

Powered by a choice of 100hp or 125hp 2.2-litre Duratorque TDCi turbo diesel engines, the Tourneo Custom delivers exceptional fuel efficiency. The long-range 80-litre fuel tank combined with the excellent fuel economy enables an industry leading 1200 kilometres between fuel stops.