Ford's new 2013 Fusion sedan.
More than a quarter century after the original Ford Taurus revolutionized automotive design – and put the U.S. automaker at the top of the midsize sales charts – Ford is hoping to do it again with the launch of the new 2013 Fusion sedan.
The new Fusion, making its debut at the North American International Auto Show, in Detroit, this week, takes aim at such import stalwarts as the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord by delivering a mix of cutting-edge design, competitive fuel economy and a mix of features not typically found on a midsize sedan.
“We knew we needed a more premium design than our previous (Fusion) or our competitors,” says Chris Hamilton, Fusion’s styling chief.
While it’s not quite the revolutionary breakthrough of the original 1986 Taurus, which ushered in the aerodynamic “jellybean” look that swept through the industry in its era, the Fusion is clearly a standout in a segment that has traditionally favored blander designs like the relatively plain-vanilla 2012 Camry, the new Fusion creating quite a buzz since Ford provided automotive journalists a sneak peek just before last month’s holiday break.
The new Fusion features a driver-centric cockpit with a forward canted centerstack and high center console.
The design of the new domestic sedan borrows heavily from the Ford Evos Concept, one of the more talked-about prototypes at last autumn’s Frankfurt Motor Show – though it skips that show car’s distinctive, if impractical, gullwing doors. But it borrows the overall more coupe-like roofline, the low nose – with its decidedly Aston Martin-like grille – the broad muscular shoulders and a shape that, on the whole, feels like a well-tailored suit.
The headlights serve as one of the 2013 Ford Fusion’s most distinctive design features. Where oversized “jewel-like” lamps have become an industry cliché, the new sedan, like the Evos concept, migrates to almost slit-like headlamps that don’t overwhelm the front end.
"The new face of Ford."
“This is the first vehicle to showcase the new face of Ford,” noted Hamilton, pointing to a move away from the three-bar grille that has been the standard front-end feature of recent Ford offerings, such as the outgoing Fusion.
While strong design is becoming increasingly important in even mainstream market segments, Ford’s Executive Vice President of Global Product Programs Hau Thai Tang admits that alone wouldn’t be enough to move the metal. Making Fusion a competitive stand-out also requires fuel economy leadership, innovative technology and a good driving experience, he suggests.
Ford expects the plug-in Fusion Energi to deliver over 100 MPGe.
On the mileage front, the 2013 Fusion will be offered with four different engine packages, including two high-mileage EcoBoost powertrains and a new 2.0-liter gas-electric hybrid that Ford expects to earn a 47 mpg rating. If the EPA concurs that would position it four miles per gallon above the new 2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid.
Ford also is planning a special plug-in hybrid version of the new sedan, to be dubbed the Fusion Energi, for which it is targeting a rating of at least 100 MPGe, or miles per gallon equivalent, which takes into account the distance the vehicle can travel on battery power alone. Ford battery car chief Sherif Marakby wouldn’t provide many details yet other than to say the Energi’s lithium-ion battery pack will deliver “north of” the 13 miles per charge of the smaller Toyota Prius plug-in coming to market this year.
The Fusion Energi will use the same basic lithium-ion battery drivetrain as the new Ford C-Max Energi.
The more conventional Fusion powertrain mix should also give buyers reason to pay attention. A 180-horsepower 1.6-liter EcoBoost will get 26 mpg City, 37 Highway. The 2.0-liter EcoBoost replaces the old Ford 3.6-liter V-6 as the Fusion’s premium engine. The turbocharged engine will deliver 237 hp, a 25% improvement. Meanwhile, a base 170 horsepower 2.5-liter inline-four will also be available.
The new Fusion also will deliver a mix of hi-tech features, including the next-generation MyFordTouch infotainment system which, the maker is hoping, will resolve earlier problems with the touch and voice-controlled system.
Ford claims the conventional Fusion hybrid will get 47 mpg, about four better than the Toyota Camry hybrid.
The Fusion will be available with a new Lane Keeping System, meanwhile, that will not only warn a driver drifting out of their lane but also help steer the car back. If the system detects the driver might also be drowsy it can sound an alert to pull over and rest.
Other features will include blind-spot detection, Cross-Traffic Alert, Hill Start Assist, Active Cruise Control and even an active noise canceling system working somewhat like the headphones that have become popular with air travelers.
Whether Ford can deliver a better driving experience than the yeoman Fusion now on the market remains to be seen – but the maker’s EcoBoost engines have generally won kudos, and it has also earned praise for the ride and handling of other recent additions to the line-up.
The 2013 Ford Fusion is the latest product developed under the One Ford system.
The outgoing Fusion gained ground on its leading import rivals last year, though Toyota and Honda both suffered serious shortages as the result of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan. Nonetheless, Rebecca Lindland, chief of research at IHS Automotive, believes the new Camry won’t gain much ground in 2012 – with sales jumping from 308,000 to just 312,000 – giving the new Fusion a shot.
“The Japanese have been dependent on the blind loyalty of the Baby Boomers routinely checking the box for a Camry or Accord every time,” says Lindland. “But (buyers are) discovering there’s a new level of refinement from Detroit…while the Japanese are cutting corners as they struggle with containing cost.”
The Japanese, of course, won’t give up without a fight and a new Honda Accord Coupe is debuting in Detroit this week, with Nissan set to preview replacements for its midsize Altima and Sentra models later in the year. And there are also the Koreans, the Hyundai and Kia siblings, which have scored big gains in the segment, as well.
But barring some unexpected problems, Ford seems well-positioned with the 2013 Fusion to score some gains once it comes to market later this year.