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Ram ProMaster City and Ford F-150 Win 2016 Green Car Awards

by Ron CoganNovember 21, 2015
Green Car Journal has selected Ram’s ProMaster City as its inaugural 2016 Commercial Green Car of the Year™ and Ford’s F-150 as its 2016 Green Truck of the Year™. The awards were presented at a press conference held at the 2015 San Antonio Auto & Truck Show in San Antonio, Texas. Nominees for Commercial Green Car of […]

2016 Ram ProMaster City Wagon SLTGreen Car Journal has selected Ram’s ProMaster City as its inaugural 2016 Commercial Green Car of the Year™ and Ford’s F-150 as its 2016 Green Truck of the Year™. The awards were presented at a press conference held at the 2015 San Antonio Auto & Truck Show in San Antonio, Texas.

Nominees for Commercial Green Car of the Year™ also included the Chevrolet City Express, Ford Transit Connect, Mercedes-Benz Metris, and Nissan NV200, while finalists for Green Truck of the Year™ included the Chevrolet Colorado Duramax, GMC Canyon Duramax, Nissan Titan XD, and Toyota Tacoma. While hard-working functionality remains a cornerstone for models like these aimed at business and personal use, the added benefit of higher fuel economy, lower carbon emissions, and greater environmental compatibility is crucial to a more compatible motoring future.

2015 Ram ProMaster City Reveal

Ram’s award-winning ProMaster City is a new addition to the growing compact van field that champions increased efficiency and urban maneuverability. It comes in wagon and cargo versions with the ability to tow up to 2000 pounds. Power is provided by an efficient 178 horsepower, 2.4-liter aluminum block Tigershark engine already well-proved in Chrysler, Dodge, and Jeep models. Offering a base price of $23,130, the ProMaster City’s EPA rating of 21 city/29 highway mpg is enhanced by the first-ever use of a nine-speed transmission in a commercial van.

The ProMaster City carries up to 1,883 pounds or 131.7 cubic feet of cargo and features a cargo-friendly 48.8 inches between interior wheel wells. A Uconnect 5.0 audio and multimedia system featuring a five-inch touchscreen, integrated voice command with Bluetooth, and steering wheel audio controls is available.

2016 Ford F-150 Limited

Ford’s F-150 has been the best-selling vehicle in America for well over three decades. In its new generation it shed a considerable 700 pounds through the use of a military-grade all-aluminum body and high-strength steel chassis, improving both fuel efficiency and overall performance while offering a reasonable base price of $26,430. Its 2.7-liter EcoBoost V-6 allows this pickup to achieve up to 26 mpg on the highway. The F-150 also offers a gaseous fuel prep package that allows running on cleaner burning natural gas or propane.

The F-150 features SYNC 3, Ford’s newest communications and entertainment system that delivers enhanced voice recognition and a capacitive touch screen. With the F-150’s Pro Trailer Backup Assist technology,  a driver steers a trailer instinctively by turning a knob left or right to indicate direction, then backs up as the truck controls its steering and limits vehicle speed.

F-150 Limited 2016

As part of its finalists vetting process, Green Car Journal evaluates the environmental achievement of pickups and light-duty commercial vehicles along with their all-important functionality. Vehicles running on all fuels and technologies are considered. Market significance, ‘newness’, and other important criteria are weighed as the field is narrowed to five finalists for each award.

The 47th annual San Antonio Auto & Truck Show was presented by the San Antonio Automobile Dealers Association at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio. Each year, the show highlights the auto industry’s newest innovations and is recognized as South Texas’ premier automotive event.

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