The Ford Motor Company snagged the North American Truck of the Year award for its 2010 Ford Transit Connect at the North American International Auto Show.

The North American Car and Truck of the Year awards recognize vehicles based on factors including innovation, design, safety, handling, driver satisfaction and value for the dollar. A jury of 49 automotive journalists in the U.S. and Canada vote for the vehicles, which must be "all-new" or "substantially changed" from the previous model to qualify for the award. Ford's Fusion Hybrid won the 2010 North American Car of the Year Award.

The Transit Connect beat out other finalists including the Chevrolet Equinox and Subaru Outback. It is the sixth Ford truck to win the award. Last year, Ford got top honors for its 2009 F-150.

The Transit Connect, which is built in Turkey, has a powertrain familiar to any American who's owned a front-drive sedan or minivan with a transverse four-cylinder engine and an automatic transmission. A TC is roughly 2 feet shorter and weighs about 1,500 pounds less than an E-150 van, which it will complement in the Ford lineup. The TC's roof is 59 inches high in the cargo area, which also measures 48 inches wide by 72 inches deep, for a volume of 135.3 cubic feet. Its floor sits less than 2 feet off the pavement for easy loading and unloading, and its rear and side doors allow excellent access. With a fold-down rear seat it can carry up to five people and still a goodly amount of cargo, for a total payload of 1,600 pounds. The model was introduced to the U.S. market to meet the needs of small business owners and entrepreneurs, Ford says.

Powered by a 2.0-liter I-4 engine with a four-speed automatic overdrive transmission, the Transit Connect offers double the fuel economy of full-size vans, delivering an EPA-estimated 22 mpg city and 25 mpg highway.