Ford wins Most Innovative Volume Brand 2015 award

The new Ford Focus also won in its class, and the all-new Ford Mondeo was in the top three for its segment.

Ford won the awards for safety and driver assistance systems including Active Park Assist that helps drivers to park alongside other cars, and in parallel parking spaces, and automatic braking technology Active City Stop that operates at speeds of up to 50km/h.

"Innovation has always been the lifeblood of Ford and it's more vital with the automotive industry entering a period of rapid technological advancement," said Joe Bakaj, vice president of Product Development, Ford of Europe. "The technologies we are introducing today are enabling a safer, more efficient and more connected journey."

Independent institute

The Centre of Automotive Management is an independent institute for automotive and mobility research and strategic consulting at the University of Applied Sciences, Bergisch Gladbach, in Germany. The judging panel, led by centre director Prof. Stefan Bratzel, in collaboration with PricewaterhouseCoopers AG, reported that driver assistance systems accounted for nearly 300 of the innovations submitted.

"AutomotiveINNOVATIONS identified the future trends in the automotive industry on the basis of more than 1,200 technical innovations," Bratzel said. "The award for Ford proves the innovative power of the brand. With Focus and Mondeo, many of the innovations have already found their way into production."

Jurors also recognised Ford for the award-winning1.0-litre EcoBoost engine that last year became the first engine to be named International Engine of the Year three years in a row, and the company's Electronic Stability Programme technology.