The Ford Explorer is the 2011 North American Truck of the Year. The winners were revealed at the North American International Auto Show. The winners were chosen by a jury of 49 automotive journalists from the United States and Canada. The awards are unique in the United States because instead of being given by a single media outlet they are awarded by a coalition of automotive journalists from the United States and Canada who represent magazines, television, radio, newspapers and web sites.

It is the third year in a row that a Ford was named the North American Truck of the Year. Last year the winner was the Transit Connect. It is also the seventh time a Ford has been the “North American Truck of the Year,” a category it has dominated. The Explorer won with 253 points while the Jeep had 138 and the Durango 99. To be eligible a vehicle must be all new or “substantially changed.” The jurors considered dozens of new vehicles before sending their ballots to Michelle Collins, a partner at Deloitte & Touche early in December.

Ford last competed in the minivan market with its Freestar model, which ended production in 2007. In 2012, the automaker will re-enter the competitive market with its all new 2012 Ford C-Max, a model that is much smaller than many of today’s vans; it would better be described as a microvan. The C-Max will hold seven and all the second- and third-row seats in the C-Max fold flat, and all folding mechanisms have been engineered to operate with just a single hand. Additionally, the middle seat in the second row folds and stows below either adjacent seat, making for easier passage to the way back. The C-Max will ride on the next generation of Ford’s global C-platform, which will also underpin the redesigned Ford Focus. Ford says the C-platform will eventually spawn up to 10 vehicles, although we will not see all of those in the U.S. Neither will we see the full range of EcoBoost engines that will be offered elsewhere. Design-wise, the lower edge of the side windows slopes downward rear to front, creating a nice, tidy wedge shape, with expansive glass for great outward visibility. The front end is nicely sculpted, with big headlight
clusters and a big.  Ford C-Max will likely be available with two engines in the United States. A 2.5-liter inline four-cylinder will come standard, delivering 150-160 horsepower. The upgrade will be a turbocharged 1.6-liter
EcoBoost four-cylinder, producing 160-170 hp, with direct fuel injection and better fuel efficiency. Both will come with a 6-speed automatic transmission.