truth about domestics

Out of all the new cars and trucks released in the past year, only 3 each are chosen as the finalists for the North American Car and Truck of the Year awards that will be presented at the 2010 North American International Auto Show.  The interesting news here is that both GM and Ford managed to get a nominee in the car and the truck categories!  For GM, the car is the Buick LaCrosse and the truck is the Chevrolet Equinox.  The Ford nominees are the Fusion hybrid and the Transit Connect.  For more, head on over to Autoblog or the North American Car and Truck of the Year site.

Another exciting new product from Ford…when will this onslaught end???  The 2010 Transit Connect is aimed at businesses that are too small or just plain don’t need an Econoline van and for that it is perfectly equipped.  Featuring a 4 cylinder engine and a four speed automatic, the Transit Connect is rated at 22 mpg city and 25 mpg highway.  All while being able to carry 1,600 lbs of cargo in the back.  It is also available as a “wagon” variant with a 3 row bench in the middle.

For all the details, and more photos on it’s custimization options, head on over to Autoblog.

2010 Ford Transit Connect

The official EPA rating is in for the 2010 Ford Transit Connect and it appears that Ford may have underestimated the performance of the vehicle.  When unveiled at the Chicago Auto Show, product development boss Derrick Kuzak stated that the vehicle should return around 20 mpg city and 24 mpg highway.  The numbers came back from the EPA at 22 mpg city and 25 mpg highway.  A similar situation occured when Ford released their prediction for the 2010 Fusion Hybrid, which they had pegged at 39 mpg city.  The actual EPA number came back at 41 mpg city.  Oh well, I guess if you’re going to be wrong, it’s best to have the actual results come back showing that you actually did better than you expected.  Head on over to Autoblog for the full story.