Mondeo man appears to have had the final laugh as the new Ford Mondeo was named Car of the Year 2001 by a leading car magazine.

As well as receiving the most prestigious award at the motor industry's Oscars, the model also scooped the award for Best Family Car.

Steve Fowler, editor of What Car? which hosted the event, said: Ford's achievement with the new Mondeo is spectacular.

It is quicker than the old model, yet more economical and with fewer emissions.

It is bigger, yet feels more agile; it offers greater comfort yet has more space and is easier to use; it protects its occupants better and is quieter, too.

The icing on the cake is that it costs less, needs less frequent servicing and comes with the three-year warranty we've been calling for for years. It's the most talented family car ever.

Jacques Nasser, Ford's presi- dent and chief executive officer, received the award at a ceremony in London.

It was a double celebration for the company its baby Ka picked up the Best Budget Car award. However, both Vauxhall and BMW went one better, receiving three top categories each.

Vauxhall, which has previously failed to turn the heads of enthus- iasts, saw its Astra SRi named Best Hot Hatch and the VX220 pick up Best Roadster. The company's Zafira scooped the MPV award for the second year.

BMW's 5-series was named Best Executive Car for a record- breaking sixth year. Meanwhile, new arrivals the X5 claimed the four-by-four trophy and the M3 took Best Performance Car.

The Skoda Fabia, last year's Car of the Year, keeps its position as the magazine's top supermini.