Ford Fusion Hybrid Gains Recognition and is Catching Up to Toyota Prius

There's no denying that the most popular hybrid vehicle of all time is easily the Toyota Prius. As AutoblogGreen states, since its debut, the Prius has outsold every other hybrid ever made and is the annual best-selling hybrid car in America year after year. Now Toyota's dominance in the hybrid market has not really been challenged by any other automaker yet, but that could slowly start to change as Ford Motor Company continues to make a strong push into the hybrid market.

Ford has introduced several hybrid models within the past few years, but many have not been strong sellers. The company's Fusion Hybrid though has slowly climbed the sales chart and is beginning to challenge Toyota for market share. In fact, the Fusion Hybrid has essentially stolen sales from Toyota, Honda and Nissan. But is the Fusion Hybrid really a competitor to the Prius, is it that good?

Well, yes, it probably is. Earlier this year, the Fusion Hybrid was selected by Motor Trend Magazine as the 2010 Car of the Year. This award is widely-recognized as one of the most important annual automotive awards. The competition for Motor Trends Car of the Year award is fierce and winning is truly an indication that the product is a stand-out in its category.

Even though the Motor Trend award is a big one, its not an award chosen by car buyers. For that type of award, you can turn to Edmund's Consumers' Top Rated Models. In the hybrid category, Edmunds states that the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid won top honors this year, taking home the award as the Consumers' Top Rated hybrid of 2010. Winners of this award are chosen by car owners who fill out satisfaction surveys. The higher rating that a vehicle obtains, simply indicates that owners of that particular model are extremely satisfied with their purchase.

So with two prestigious awards under its belt, the Fusion Hybrid is off to a strong start. Sales have been above Ford's expectations and Toyota is at least showing concern. Though sales of the Fusion are high, they are nowhere near the Prius and probably won't be anytime soon, but Ford has made tremendous progress on its hybrid products and in particular, the Fusion Hybrid is acclaimed as one of the best cars of the year.

Source: AutoblogGreen, Edmunds