2021 Mustang Mach-E Named North American Utility Of The Year

Today, the North American Car, Truck and Utility of the Year jury announced the three winners of this prestigious honor. Ford was a finalist in two of the three categories with the Mustang Mach-E up against the Genesis GV80 and the Land Rover Defender. Meanwhile the stalwart Ford F-150 was up against the Ram TRX and the Jeep Gladiator Mojave.

Ford took home two honors with the Mach-E winning the utility of the year while the F-150 took home truck of the year honors for the fourth time.

Ford’s Kumar Galhotra, president, Ford Americas and IMG, accepted the awards via video from today’s virtual announcement.

“This recognition for Mustang Mach-E and F-150 is validation not only for our brand, but also for our Ford team, which continues to innovate and deliver on its commitment to creating must-have products and services,” said Galhotra. “The North American Car, Utility and Truck of the Year awards are among the most prestigious in the industry and such an honor serves as a capstone achievement for years of hard work for the Mustang Mach-E and F-150 teams.”

It is the first time since 2014 that the same brand has won multiple North American vehicle of the year awards in the same year.

Mustang Mach-E: North American Utility Vehicle of the Year
It’s quite an accomplishment for a first-time entry like the Mach-E to win the award, although often the jury does reward new entrants in segments.

Certainly the Mach-E is not without publicity and fanfare having swept onto the scene somewhat controversially by using the Mustang name on an electric crossover vehicle. I wrote about how I thought the Genesis GV80 might win because some on the jury might hold the Mustang name against the Mach-E, but clearly that was not a swaying factor.

The jury did seem to reward innovation, something they are known to do.

Ford brought the all-new all-electric Mustang Mach-E to life through a development process concentrated entirely on customer needs and desires, resulting in a sleek, beautiful SUV that delivers spirited ride and handling – with state-of-the-art connected vehicle technology that makes it even better over time.

According to Ford, the winning vehicles are benchmarks in their segments based on factors including innovation, design, safety, handling, driver satisfaction and value for the dollar. Clearly, the jury agreed.

Additionally, both models have connected vehicle technology, including over-the-air updates, that keeps them in the forefront of purposeful technology and ensures customers’ future wants and needs are met through the life of the vehicle.

Other Awards and Honors For the 2021 Mustang Mach-E
This is not the only award that the Mach-E has won, which is sometimes an indicator that a more prestigious recognition like Utility of the Year might be following.
Here’s a list of other accolades the 2021 Mustang Mach-E has won:
• Green Car of the Year - Green Car Journal
• Edmunds Top Rated Luxury EV - Edmunds
• Best Car to Buy 2021- The Car Connection
• Best Electric Car to Buy 2021 - The Car Connection
• Best Crossover to Buy 2021 - The Car Connection
• Best Car to Buy 2021 - Green Car Reports

I wrote just yesterday about how a win like this could greatly impact Ford’s overall stock and valuation on Wall Street. So it will be interesting to see if the needle moves up for Ford and their stock, which has been fairly weak over the last several years.

Even if it doesn’t have an immediate impact, this is surely a feather in the cap of new CEO Jim Farley who has been a product champion for the Mustang Mach-E, including putting the name of Mustang on the crossover.

Did that decision pay off? At least as far as the national automotive media goes it didn’t hurt it. Now, will this help bump up sales? That is the all-important key indicator for the long-term viability of the Mustang Mach-E.

What do you think? Does this increase your opinion of the Mach-E? Do you give much credibility to awards like this? Leave me your comment below.

Jimmy Dinsmore has been an automotive journalist for more than a decade and been a writer since the high school. His Driver’s Side column features new car reviews and runs in several newspapers throughout the country. He is also co-author of the book “Mustang by Design” and “Ford Trucks: A Unique Look at the Technical History of America’s Most Popular Truck”. Also, Jimmy works in the social media marketing world for a Canadian automotive training aid manufacturing company. Follow Jimmy on Facebook, Twitter, at his special Ford F-150 coverage on Twitter and LinkedIn. You can read the most of Jimmy's stories by searching Torque News Ford for daily Ford vehicle report.