Filed under: Car Buying, Euro, Marketing/Advertising, Ford
2007 European Car of the Year: Ford S-MAX
Ford Motor Company can use all of the good news it can garner these days. On the heels of the positive announcements regarding the Fusion and Milan quality, a panel of 58 automotive journalists from 22 European countries voted the Ford S-MAX the 2007 European Car of the Year.
The S-Max earned its crown by boxing out the Citroen C4 Picasso and Opel/Vauxhall Corsa, which were also very close in the running. The rest of the short list included the Fiat Grande Punto, Honda Civic, Skoda Roomster and Volvo C30. Not bad company to keep; even better company to beat!
Thanks for the tip Alberto B.!
[Source: Autoblog Spanish, Reuters]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Michael Karesh 9:41AM (11/13/2006)
This is exactly the sort of vehicle I've been wanting to replace my Mazda Protege5. Fun to drive, manual transmission, seating for 7 with three in the second row, and not styled to look too much like a minivan.
We need something like this in the U.S.
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dhario 9:51AM (11/13/2006)
kudos to ford...
perhaps if a car like this was released in the U.S. ford wouldn't be tanking? manufacture the car in europe and ship it over...
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purecoda 10:03AM (11/13/2006)
Listen Ford, this isn't that complicated. Swallow your pride, cut the red tape, and stop with this Bold Moves nonsense - just bring over your UK lineup already! The Mondeo, Focus ST and S-Max will sell like hotcakes - guaranteed.
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Johnny B 10:03AM (11/13/2006)
Yet another Ford we will never see in the U.S.A. Great job Ford, but your bombing in your own country...! I think it's time to step away from the trucks and SUV's...
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Mr_Oak 10:48AM (11/13/2006)
Yet another stupid hatchback\wagon thingy. I'll take the one with a proper trunk or boot as the Brits say. Trunk\Boot also serves as rear shock tower housing and road noise isolation chamber. I really do hate hatchbacks. Drove one cross-country and it just about drove me mad. 2700 miles of subsonic boom punctuated by a gazillion TWACKS.
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Bill 11:16AM (11/13/2006)
Mr. Oak I'm curious what hatchback you drove cross country that drove you so nuts.
I will never own a car with a traditional trunk again. It's such wasted, unusable space. On the other hand, I don't like SUV's because I want a car that's low to the ground and can handle the curves when I'm feeling frisky.
Hatches rule. Always liked them, even when there were very uncool, and almost nonexistent in the US market. I need one car that does everything, and they do it.
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Michael Karesh 11:18AM (11/13/2006)
I'm guessing that Mr. Oak doesn't have three kids.
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Mr_Oak 11:46AM (11/13/2006)
----> 7. I'm guessing that Mr. Oak doesn't have three kids.
Actually I have exactly three kids 16, 15 and 12 years old. I am now forced to go aro a larger car, mini-van or SUV. I chose the larger car LS.
The hatch was an '82 corrola. Also drove my brother's Escort wagon for 6 hrs taking him to college. Same result. My '85 supra was somewhat better but still annoying.
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Louis Duran 12:05PM (11/13/2006)
This is the kind of minivan that I am looking for on the market and just doesn't exist in North America from what I can see. My wife and I were given a Toyota Sienna minivan. We like the extra space and functionality especially with a newborn baby (they do take a lot of stuff with them). However, we don't necessarily like the size (it is a tight fit in our two car garage), the fuel economy stinks, my wife hates to parallel park it and I don't think it handles very well. So the only smaller van alternative with at least 6 passenger seating is the Mazda5 which is just a little too small for us and the rear seats on the 5 are just for kids. Plus the Mazda5 has a slightly castrated version of the Mazda3 2.3 liter engine. Just not enough power for a 3400lb. vehicle. The S-MAX would be just what we need. We don't need the current crop of bloated minivans from Nissan/Toyota/Honda/Chrysler. We need something that is an actual MINI-van.
One of the previous posters was right... Ford just bring over your UK lineup, let the consumer decide, and let the chips fall where they may.
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Bill 12:26PM (11/13/2006)
As I thought. 25 years is a long time, and like most other cars, hatchbacks have changed a lot too.
A cross-country trip in an 80's Corolla or Escort wagon would have been a torturous journey, not matter if it had a trunk or a hatch.
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mce48047 10:32PM (11/13/2006)
Great looking vehicles in Europe. I completely agree with everyone else. Swallaw your pride and bring these vehicles over here to the US. Every time a new vehicle has a press release, my first question is .... "Will it be sold in the US?" And of course it's not. DUH!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Guenther 8:09AM (11/14/2006)
Is the S-max actually bigger than the Mazda5, or is it basically the same platform. A Speed5 woild be very cool, and CHEAP.
Bill, don't bother Mr Oak with such arguments- He's bitter and very synical.
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Eric 9:32PM (11/16/2006)
Will it work in the USA? No, Dodge, GM , Asian and Europe co. have the upper hand. Down size and stick with the things that work in the USA, Mustangs, Focus, Escapes and Move away from Large Trucks and Large to Mid size SUV's
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Beth 2:15PM (11/17/2006)
This is a Focus cross-over....... Wow... But then again I have been buying FORD for 25 years. They make a great car.
We all need to STOP listening to Toyota and Honda and Hyundai, and Kia.....
Start listening to the local automakers... They don't make a bad product at all. My husband and I are GM/FORD/ and even Chrysler LOYAL....
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FRAN 2:54PM (11/17/2006)
That five dollars per gallon for gas is great incentive. Europe has had great cars for years. Smaller cars with great, efficient engines. Two years ago I must have gotten fifty MPG in a clean, quiet deisel. Fun to drive stick shift, and very comfy, too.
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Kevin 3:25PM (11/17/2006)
Beth- Your loyalty to the Big 3 is laudable. However, after years of driving poorly made, sub quality vehicles from the Big 3, I gave up and went Japanese. Now, four Nissans and three Toyotas later, I will never go back. Chevrolet had my business, but they didn't care enough to keep it.
My current Toyota was built in KY- a great car built by great American workers!
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go bush! 3:44PM (11/17/2006)
I'm sick and tired of liberals and their small cars. I'm fat. Nothing wrong with it and I'm not going to start eating liberal health food and going to an all gay gym and waxing and oiling my body so i can fit into a small car. I'm an AMERICAN and we fought the war on terror so we can import all the oil we want. We aren't going to start driving tin cans just because liberals say pollution is coming. Its all BS.
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PonyCar 4:03PM (11/17/2006)
I'm a Ford guy from WAAAY back. I drive an 06 Mustang Convertible, a real display of what the U.S. does best.
I think the European and Australian lineup would steal a lot of Japanese thunder, and they need to sell them here. But I also think that Ford should make more distinctly American cars. Am I the only one that thinks they missed the PERFECT opportunity to introduce a nice midsize, RWD, Charger killer, bringing back the Torino name duing the Olympics last year? Talk about missing a marketing campaign that money can't buy...
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Brittishbiker@aol.com 4:17PM (11/17/2006)
Just when we thought Ford was about to start making cars again with the Mustang we see they made ...what is that thing? Its down right ugly. What happened to the V-8 rear wheel drive. beauties things called "Cobras" even the 63 Galaxy for a big car! Yeah thats what I am talking about ! this thing looks like its made for a third world country and Europe has a proud heritage of Austins and Rolls Jaguar to see it reduced to some thing you can imagine the top cut off and used to transport live stock is sad. Do your Nations proud buy that mustang.
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Brittishbiker@aol.com 4:27PM (11/17/2006)
Whats so great about cars that wouldnt last two days in a fleet or as a taxi or police car. Where are al the old Japenese cars? there not in shows or Mueseums ? look in the paper where are all the 1989 Hondas, Toyotas, Nissians ect But a lot of Impalas Crown vics malibus cuttlass etc. I owned one Jap car it was Corrola 3tc engine automatic I had to turn off the air to merge into traffic it rusted horrably at 4 years old the bottoms of the doors where going fast. I owned a Courior ford pick up with a ford motor and a Mazda body fit was horrable but the 140 C.I. over head cam Ford engine was quick and tourqy . what and why is al the running to Asian cars they are costlier and repair prices send them prematurly to to scrap heap. I may be terrible at spelling but I can pick a good car and keep it for many years with liltle up keep only maintence bring Oldsmobile back!
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