The American Iron and Steel Institute's (AISI) Steel Market Development Institute has announced that the vehicles selected as the 2010 North American Car and Truck of the Year feature a number of lightweight, advanced high-strength steel (AHSS) technologies. Ford's Fusion Hybrid and Transit Connect have won the respective awards for top car and top truck of the year, according to the AISI press release.
Ford's Fusion Hybrid features a lightweight high-strength steel body structure for added side and frontal impact protection and tailor-welded B-pillars between the front and rear doorframes. The body of the vehicle contains 55 percent high-strength steel.
Meanwhile, Ford's Transit Connect includes steel wheels, a high-strength steel front cross-member, a high-strength steel reinforced body shell, and twin-side cross members and side-impact protection.
The awards are judged and given by 49 veteran automotive journalists in the United States and Canada who represent magazines, television, radio, newspapers and websites.