Ford of Europe collected the award for European car of the year for the S-Max in Amsterdam on Monday night, with John Fleming, president of the brand's European operations, admitting that the decision to launch a second model so close to its established Galaxy people carrier received less than unanimous support within Ford. "However, the project team persevered and persuaded us that what they were suggesting was much more than another MPV."
He described the S-Max as one of the new breed of crossover vehicles, on this occasion marrying a sporting saloon drive with family spaciousness.
It seems to have paid off for the car giant, with Ray Hutton, president of the motoring jury, saying that if Ford were ever to build a premium model, then this was it.
Hutton praised the keen driving quality of the car, noting that it was the first time a people carrier had taken the title, which was a credit to the engineers involved.
The Ford S-Max took the 2007 title in an extremely tight competition and with a shortlist of eight cars, the S-Max received 235 points from the 58 jury members, just two points ahead of the new Opel Corsa.
Of all the car awards awarded across the Continent, the Car of the Year in Europe title remains the most prestigious.
It comprises 58 jurors from 22 nations across Europe, including representatives from countries ranging from Russia to Portugal and from Turkey to Finland.
What makes this competition different from the rest - competitions where votes are cast in secret and without explanation - is that the vote is open and jurors must justify their decisions.
It is Ford's fifth win since the title was launched in 1964. The US firm's first success was scored in 1981 with the Escort: its other victories came in 1986 with the Scorpio, in 1994 with the Mondeo and in 1999 with the Focus.
Recent winners of the European title include the Renault Clio, Toyota Prius and Fiat Panda.
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