The 2010 Ford Taurus has been named International Car of the Year (ICOTY) at the ongoing Los Angeles Auto Show.

The all-new Ford Taurus was voted the winner of the 14th annual award by a panel of 19 automotive media from around the US representing top newspapers, magazines and Web sites.

“This award is not centred on power and performance,” said Courtney Caldwell, ICOTY’s creator and executive producer.

“It’s about how a car reflects our personalities, lifestyles and self-image and how well the automaker achieves that goal through the design and marketing of the vehicle,” Caldwell explained.

The all-new 2010 Ford Taurus made its Middle Eastern debut at this year's Gitex in Dubai, followed by an appearance at the Saudi International Motorshow in Jeddah, and has received wide acclaim due to its sporty looks as well as the host of segment-exclusive technologies it offers, a statement said.

Ford's new flagship model is set to take center stage at the upcoming Riyadh International Motorshow (December 12-16) and the Dubai Motorshow (December 16-20).

The 2010 Ford Taurus features a set of standard and available technologies such as blind spot information system (BLIS) with cross traffic alert, MyKey, adaptive cruise control, collision warning with brake support, and Ford SYNC.

“Taurus is not just another addition to the Ford passenger car lineup,” said Hussein Murad, Ford Middle East's director of sales.

“It defines what to expect from Ford’s future car portfolio – sophisticated, upscale design, segment-leading safety, segment-leading quality, high-end technologies, outstanding driving dynamics, and great value. We are confident that this model will strike the right chord with GCC consumers,” he added. – TradeArabia News Service