Ford Escape Hybrid, Chrysler 300 top in Detroit
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
This year saw the second hybrid vehicle in a row garner the top honors in the recently concluded 2005 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan.
This year, Ford Escape Hybrid was named the best truck while last year it was Toyota's Prius that received the honor.
As for the Ford Motor Company, it was a back-to-back honor in the truck category as last year its Ford F150 was named the best truck.
Meanwhile, this year's best sedan is the bold Chrysler 300 which has provided the much-needed boost in the DaimlerChrysler AG's Chrysler division credited with reinventing the full-sized, American sedan.
A hybrid vehicle is usually defined as a car using two engines: the conventional internal combustion engine for high speed drive and an electric motor used at lower speeds.
Derived from the popular Ford Escape sports utility vehicle (SUV), Ford Escape Hybrid uses a four-cylinder, 2,300cc gasoline engine and a permanent magnet AC synchronous electric motor. The car will automatically select which is to be used.
The gasoline engine produces a maximum of 133 horsepower (hp) at 6,000 revolutions per minute (rpm) while the electric motor unleashes 94 hp at 3,000 to 5,000 hp. The combined power is 155 hp.
There are two driving options: front wheel drive and four- wheel drive.
Dubbed as the only pure, hybrid SUV, the front wheel drive is offered from US$26,970 while the 4x4 model starts at $28,595 in the United States.
Ford Motor Company also plans more hybrid vehicles in three years to come.
Mercury Mariner Hybrid will be available in the United States this year, while Ford Fusion Hybrid and Mercury Milan Hybrid will be ready in 2008.
A small number of Mazda Tribute Hybrid, using the Ford Escape as a platform, will also be available for testing this year while mass production is scheduled in the next two years.
As there is no real demand for cars with hybrid technology here, president of PT Ford Motor Indonesia (FMI) Will Angove said Indonesian customers could choose the fuel-efficient Ford Escape 2.3 powered by a 2,300 cc gasoline engine.
"Escape Hybrid is one example of Ford's innovative strategy to create a vehicle that is able to answer the needs of customers now and in the future," he said in a statement.
Ford Escape is also available here with a V6 3,000 cc engine priced at Rp 275 million for the 4x2 version and Rp 325 million for the 4x4 version while the Ford Escape 2.3 is priced at Rp 250 million.
Separately, Chrysler Group executive vice president for product development Eric Ridenour said the award was an honor and he was proud to accept it.
"We believe the Chrysler 300 fully represents our operating philosophy of disciplined pizzazz," he said in the company's website.
The car is powered by a high-performance, fuel-efficient and durable powerplant known as the V8 5,700 cc HEMI engine producing 340 hp of power at 5,000 rpm and 535 Nm torque at 4,000 rpm. It uses a five-speed automatic transmission.
Such great power launches Chrysler 300 to a speed of 96 kilometers per hour in just 6.3 seconds.
There are also engine options of the 2,700 cc double overhead camshaft (DOHC) engine and the V8 3,500 cc single overhead camshaft (SOHC) engine. These two variants have four-speed automatic transmission.
An all-wheel drive option is also available for variants using the V8 5,700 cc HEMI and V8 3,500 cc engines ensuring excellent cornering balance under all conditions and better traction on wet surfaces.