FORD MONDEO WIN "CAR OF THE YEAR 2001" AWARD FROM WHEELS ASIA
SINGAPORE, July 12, 2001 – The Ford Mondeo has just added one more award to its impressive list of international tributes. This time it has clinched the coveted "Car of the Year 2001" title from Wheels Asia, the influential Singapore automotive magazine.
The Awards is regarded by some as the local 'Automotive Oscars' and is voted by an eleven-member editorial board. The Mondeo was elected tops in the "Large Sedan of the Year 2001" category and was chosen as the grand "Car of the Year 2001" winner from amongst the 14 category winners.
Besides the Mondeo grand win, the Ford Focus was also voted as the "Family Car of the Year 2001.
Editor-in-chief Mazlan Samad, speaking for the jury panel, wrote in the Wheels Asia Car Buyers' Guide 2001: "We take great pride in coming up with these Awards because they reflect our collective efforts and opinion. We do not reproduce or repackage some foreign awards; we voted for our own winners. This I what makes the Wheels Asia 'Car of the Year' Awards 2001 very special and unique in the Singapore context and beyond."
In the hotly contested "Large Sedan" category, the Mondeo came ahead of the Volkswagen Passat, Opel Omega, Toyota Camry and Volvo S40.
In the editorial comment, Wheels Asia Car Buyers' Guide 2001 wrote: "Seldom do we come across a car that so redefines the class standards. And in the rare times that we do, we may find that the price we have to pay for it disproportionate to the advances in qualities. So it is with unbiased enthusiasm to inform all and sundry that this is truly a 'Car of the Year'. …. In no area is the Mondeo deficient, and at worst, it is still better than average. But in so many areas, it makes a mockery of the standards of family cars."
It continued: "The road manners are a revelation. Everything is not just better, they are so far superior to the class standards that most other car manufacturers must be scrambling back to their drawing boards. …. And the Mondeo comes with a price tag that is almost too good to be true. At tens of thousands of (Singapore) dollars less expensive than many a junior executive car, the Mondeo is actually superior to many of these and in so many ways."
Accepting the award, Dan Brieschke, regional manager for Ford Asia Pacific Direct Markets said: "We are delighted that the Mondeo has been voted by Wheels Asia as its 'Car of the Year 2001'. The Mondeo has been winning a string of awards in Europe but of course this award here in Singapore is especially significant. I am confident that this distinction from Wheels Asia will help our customers realize what a great buy the Mondeo is – and I certainly hope that they like driving award-winning cars."
He added: "The Mondeo has been a big hit with customers since we launched the car less than 2 months ago. To-date, Regent Motors Limited has sold 200 of them. With the Wheels Asia Car Buyers' Guide already available at news stands and in bookstores, I am sure many readers will take notice of the Mondeo's superior qualities and will include it in their shopping list for a first-rate family car in its class."
The new Mondeo set out to redefine the standards for product leadership in the C/D class, in interior and exterior design, best-in-class roominess, equipment, driving dynamics, safety, Euro IV environmental friendly and overall build quality.
The Mondeo is tagged at a price of SGD109,900 for the 4-door model. It is also available in 5-door and wagon body-styles, with a range of 8 colors to choose from.
Since making its world debut at the British International Motor Show last October, the Mondeo has won an astonishing 22 trophies, including the prestigious What Car? Magazine's Car of the Year, BBC Top Gear's Car of the Year, and Auto Express' Auto One Award.
Wheels Asia is one of the leading automotive magazines with a circulation of 65,000 in Singapore and Malaysia. Wheels Asia's Car Buyers' Guide is a mid-year publication and a reference to those looking at buying a new car. The publication places great emphasis on the value equation for customers, in its evaluation and review of cars.
The all-new Ford Mondeo is sold in Singapore through Regent Motors Limited, a member company of Sime Darby Motor Group. The company sells other Ford brand vehicles such as the Escape, Galaxy, Focus and Laser, as well as Land Rover vehicles -- another Ford Motor Company brand.
Suggested Tags:
Related Articles
Other articles featuring the Mondeo:
