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Old 01-09-2012, 11:05 PM   #1
Kal-El
 
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2013 Ford Fusion





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Your eyes do not deceive you – the sleek, pretty, low-slung sedan you see above is indeed the 2013 Ford Fusion. But don't think that the 2013 Fusion is all beauty and no brains. Ford is preparing the new Fusion, as well as its Hybrid and Energi fuel-mizing siblings, to be the most fuel-efficient, best-driving, tech-packed range of sedans in the mid-size segment.

Thanks to vehicles like the Hyundai Sonata and Kia Optima, we've seen that mid-size sedans don't necessarily have to be conservatively styled three-box appliances, and this new Fusion is certainly a looker. Combining elements of the Ford Evos concept, not to mention a front fascia that's decidedly Aston Martin-esque in approach, the Fusion has a wide, flat stance with strong character lines down the side that wrap around to a sleek rear end. Clearly the design builds upon the Kinetic language of the European Mondeo rather than the Fusion we've lived with in North America since 2010.


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The standard Fusion – available in S, SE and Titanium trims – will be available with three engines. The base mill is a 2.5-liter naturally aspirated inline-four with 170 horsepower and 170 pound-feet of torque, mated solely to a six-speed automatic transmission. We're sure it's a fine powerplant, but our interest is more settled on the next two: a 1.6-liter EcoBoost four with 179 hp and 172 lb-ft, and the range-topping 2.0-liter EcoBoost four with 237 hp and 250 lb-ft. Both engines can be had with the same six-speed automatic, though the smaller 1.6-liter engine can be mated to a six-speed manual box. Front-wheel drive is standard across the board, but top-of-the-line Fusions with the 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine can be had with all-wheel drive.

Like many other automakers, Ford is ditching a V6 for an all-four-cylinder lineup. That's par for the course these days, and with the Fusion weighing in at just over 3,300 pounds (loaded, AWD Fusions will likely weigh as much as 3,600 pounds), fuel economy is expected to be best-in-class. Ford hasn't released complete – or official – economy numbers, but Fusions equipped with the 1.6-liter EcoBoost engine (complete with start/stop technology) are expected to achieve 26/37 miles per gallon city/highway, while front-wheel-drive, 2.0-liter-equipped cars should net around 23/33 mpg.


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But if fuel economy is your thing, Ford has two even more efficient examples of the 2013 Fusion. Their names? Hybrid and Energi.

The good news is, aside from some different wheel options and badging and trim changes, the Hybrid and Energi models are just as sleek and sophisticated as the rest of the 2013 Fusion lineup. The Hybrid will launch with the rest of the Fusion range in the fall of 2012, while the Energi will arrive a little later.

In the Hybrid, power comes from a 2.0-liter Atkinson-cycle inline-four – downsized from the 2.5-liter unit in the current Fusion Hybrid. Total output is estimated at 185 hp and 130 lb-ft, running to the front wheels via an electronically controlled continuously variable transmission. The Hybrid runs on 17-inch wheels wrapped in low-rolling-resistance tires, and Ford expects the car to achieve up to 47 mpg in the city and 44 mpg on the highway. That not only bests the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid and Toyota Camry Hybrid, but also gets dangerously close to Prius territory. Ford says that the Fusion Hybrid will be able to operate at speeds up to 62 mph without spinning the engine (think: highway coasting).


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The Fusion Energi (above) uses that same powerplant at its core, but with a plug-in hybrid system that allows for short amounts of pure electric driving. As of this writing, there's still a lot of unknown factors about the Fusion Energi – pure electric range, charging time, etc. – but Ford expects the Energi to achieve up to 100 mpge (miles per gallon equivalent), which is 8 MPGe better than the Chevrolet Volt. The Fusion Energi should have a cruising range of about 500 miles.

No matter what powertrain, the 2013 Fusion's interior is sure to impress. While not as stylish as say the Sonata or Optima, the Ford's cabin is still comfortable and elegant, combining high amounts of soft-touch materials with plenty of sound-deadening and nicely grained plastics. We had the opportunity to sit in an early pre-production Fusion, and even then, things felt spacious and comfortable, though that swooping roofline leaves a bit to be desired in the way of rear headroom.


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As for technology, Ford will be packing the 2013 Fusion full of the latest gadgets. Naturally, the second-generation MyFord Touch infotainment system will be available, as will driver aids like adaptive cruise control, a lane-keeping system with drowsy driving detection, blind-spot monitoring, hill start assist and active park assist.

Pricing information for the 2013 Fusion will be revealed closer to the car's on-sale date this fall. Look for the new Fusion to show up elsewhere in the world as the Mondeo, which will be introduced later in 2012. For now, scroll down to read the full details about the 2013 Fusion in Ford's press release, and stay tuned to our Detroit Auto Show coverage for live impressions direct from Cobo Hall.


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Fusion Hybrid features an all-new 2.0-liter Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder gasoline engine, significantly downsized from the previous 2.5-liter unit while maintaining performance standards. This innovative powertrain is anticipated to deliver best-in-class fuel economy of 47 mpg in city driving and 44 mpg on the highway.

Fusion Hybrid fuel economy stands to outperform the 2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid by 4 mpg city and 5 mpg highway and the 2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid by 12 mpg and 4 mpg, respectively.

The 1.6-liter EcoBoost is expected to deliver best-in-class four-cylinder non-hybrid fuel efficiency of 26 mpg in the city and 37 mpg on the highway. The 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine – paired with a paddle-shifted six-speed SelectShift Automatic™ transmission, available 19-inch wheels and tires and all-wheel drive with the ability to send additional torque to the rear – is the Fusion performance option.

Topping the fuel-efficiency ladder is the Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid, aiming to be the most fuel-efficient midsize car in the world. Arriving this fall, Fusion Energi is anticipated to deliver more than 100 MPGe, a mile per gallon equivalency metric for electrified vehicles. This is 8 MPGe more than the Chevrolet Volt and 13 MPGe more than the projected efficiency of the Toyota Prius plug-in hybrid model.

The next-generation Fusion 1.6-liter is the first automatic-transmission Ford product offered with an automatic start-stop system. It shuts off engine power smoothly when the car is stopped and seamlessly restarts as the driver releases the brake pedal, helping Fusion to reduce fuel consumption and emissions by approximately 3.5 percent.


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Old 01-09-2012, 11:24 PM   #2
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Truly impressive stuff from Ford, again.

The grill is undoubtedly an Aston Martin copy, but hey, Ford did own AM for a while.

Can't believe the hybrid is expected to get 47 MPG, eclipsing the new Camry Hybrid which was impressive. Watch out Prius??

And the Electric may beat the crappy looking blow fish Nissan Leaf with around 100 MPGe, which is much smaller. Remarkable.
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Old 09-07-2012, 12:13 PM   #3
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OFFICIAL: Fusion Hybrid rated 47 MPG, combined!!!

Remarkable. This large hybrid sedan gets better mileage than every car on the market except for the Prius & Prius C. This beats the small Honda Civic Hybrid and Insight easily, LOL.




From Autoblog:

Quote:
The EPA posted fuel economy numbers for the 2013 Ford Fusion in front-wheel-drive, all-wheel-drive and hybrid flavors,but they were quickly removed from certain parts of the FuelEconomy.gov website. Car and Driver snagged the numbers before they disappeared,however,and it makes for fine reading.

It's a toss-up nowadays as to whether an automatic or manual will get the ultimate economy,but the best numbers among the conventional Fusion powertrains are the 25 city /37 highway miles per gallon returned by the six-speed-manual-equipped FWD Fusion with the 179-horsepower 1.6-liter EcoBoost motor. Numbers for the six-speed automatic are right behind,at 23 city / 36 highway.

Dropping nine horsepower and a turbocharger will get you price but not efficiency gains,with the 170-hp naturally-aspirated 2.5-liter four doing 22 city / 34 hwy. In the other direction,that's one small mpg away from the 22 hwy / 33 city to be had by the 237-hp 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder. Add all-wheel drive to the equation and pay a 2-mpg penalty,with the 237-hp motor doing 22 city / 31 hwy when turning all four wheels.

Of course the hybrid Fusion Energi killed it,getting 47 city and 47 hwy. That is only bested by the 2012 Toyota Prius C and Prius,ties the 2013 Ford C-MaxHybrid and beats the 2012 Honda Civic Hybrid. Among its competitors,the Fusion is in the mosh pit with the 2012 Toyota Camry's 25 city / 35 hwy,the Honda Accord's 27 city / 37 hwy and the Chevrolet Malibu's 22 city / 34 hwy,with just the sedan-surfing Nissan Altima jumping out at 27 city / 38 hwy.
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Old 09-07-2012, 12:26 PM   #4
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Interesting reference to AM. Ford has been known for the last decade for buying who they did to get access to their "pros" and to poach them for their one lines of products and then they even kicked some of the companies to the curb and resold them after they got what they wanted. Not that other big brands aren't guilty, but hey, we aren't talking about GM, etc. The 13 body lines are nice if not very reminiscent of others out there.
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Old 09-07-2012, 04:35 PM   #5
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Originally Posted by Kal-El View Post
Remarkable. This large hybrid sedan gets better mileage than every car on the market except for the Prius & Prius C. This beats the small Honda Civic Hybrid and Insight easily, LOL.




From Autoblog:
I know from other members that Toyota's type of Hybrid technology doesn't allow for a manual transmission to be used. Is Ford's technology similar to Toyota re this, or is it more like Honda's, allowing for the possibility of a manual transmission?
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Old 09-07-2012, 05:33 PM   #6
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perhaps in the next movie...
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Old 09-07-2012, 05:59 PM   #7
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All I have to say is just: FUGLY .. I wouldn't drive one even if they gave it to me. It is a FORD after all. About the only FORD I would drive is the Mustang .. just cause it has that cool factor.
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Old 09-07-2012, 06:42 PM   #8
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Originally Posted by edmscan View Post
All I have to say is just: FUGLY .. I wouldn't drive one even if they gave it to me. It is a FORD after all. About the only FORD I would drive is the Mustang .. just cause it has that cool factor.
the new 5.0 gt's are nice
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Old 09-07-2012, 07:52 PM   #9
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Although the looks of the new Fusion doesn't float my boat (the front looks like its got its mouth wide open and the rear looks like a Fiesta), I think Ford is putting out BOLD looking vehicles. Compared to any Ford from the 80's, 90's or early 2000's, the styling (especially the interior) is exponentially better. Depending on the real world MPG claims of their new hybrid technology, this could give the Toyota Camry hybrid some healthy competition.
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Old 09-07-2012, 10:47 PM   #10
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Originally Posted by edmscan View Post
All I have to say is just: FUGLY .. I wouldn't drive one even if they gave it to me. It is a FORD after all. About the only FORD I would drive is the Mustang .. just cause it has that cool factor.
I think that's the fist time I've heard the new Fusion described as ugly. I've read hundreds of comments and the majority call this the best looking sedan in this class, and I agree. Is it the grill? Because it's an Aston Martin grill, and AM's are considered some of the most brilliant designs in the world.

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Old 09-07-2012, 11:02 PM   #11
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I think that's the fist time I've heard the new Fusion described as ugly.
Nothing personal .. I just don't like the look of it, starting at the grill. I also don't like the interior .. it just looks very busy and unorganized.

Probably the only sedan that I have seen recently that I like is the older style Honda Civic (though even the new ones aren't that bad either). It just does what it needs to do in a simple and somewhat plain way. But that's what I like .. just a nice plain car without too much weirdness. Maybe that's why I see so many of them ... they are just very popular cars. They are also a very popular car to be stolen (but that's another story).
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Old 09-07-2012, 11:40 PM   #12
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I know from other members that Toyota's type of Hybrid technology doesn't allow for a manual transmission to be used. Is Ford's technology similar to Toyota re this, or is it more like Honda's, allowing for the possibility of a manual transmission?
Anyone know? (Bump ^^^^^)
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Old 09-08-2012, 12:42 AM   #13
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Never expected this... but IMHO the new Fords are better looking than the new Toyotas.
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Old 09-08-2012, 07:08 AM   #14
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Originally Posted by Kal-El View Post







Looks like another homerun to me. Ford's gettin' pretty good at this. And as for the interior, doesn't look all that busy to me. Just looks like it's got options and done in a classy and modern way. Not weird at all.

Now, this is what I call just nasty (aka: busy, fugly, unorganized...)

LOL

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