FORD MONDEO ESTATE IS BRITAIN'S BEST TOWCAR

BRENTWOOD, Essex, 20 June, 2008 – Ford's Mondeo Estate has won another prestigious towcar award.  It is the overall winner of the second annual Towcar awards, as judged by experts from What Car?, Practical Caravan and the Camping and Caravanning Club.

This triumph comes less than a year after the Ford Mondeo was awarded the Caravan Club Towcar of the Year title, the UK's longest running towing competition.

This latest award is the result of a rigorous towcar testing programme carried out on 53 cars.  The vehicles were tested for their towing ability and a number of other qualities including driving performance when not towing, practicality, value for money and safety.

The cars are judged in five categories by kerb weight, which helps buyers choose the best match for their caravan or trailer.

Ford cars were winners in two categories: the Ford Focus 2.0 TDCi Titanium 5-door hatchback won the under 1425 kg category and the Ford Mondeo Estate 2.0 TDCi Titanium auto won the 1575-1724 kg category.  The Ford C-MAX was also highly recommended as the budget choice in its category.

However, it was the Ford Mondeo Estate that emerged as the overall winner.  What Car? Editor Steve Fowler said: "The standard of towcars tested is higher than ever, yet the overall winner was a clear decision.  The Mondeo is not just a great towcar; it's also a great car when there isn't a caravan or trailer hitched to the back.  It's comfortable, spacious, good to drive and affordable."