Celeb pitchman Ryan Seacrest will step up his efforts on behalf of the 2013 Ford Fusion.
If you’re hoping to measure the importance of the new Fusion sedan to Ford’s future just consider the efforts the automaker has gone to this week to give the newly redesigned midsize model a strong send-off. The maker notably trotted out CEO Alan Mulally and other senior executives for a series of high-profile previews in New York, Los Angeles, Miami, San Francisco and, of course, Detroit.
It’s understandable. The new Fusion is Ford’s most important launch of the year. Some might contend it’s the most significant in several years. Among other things, it repositions the Detroit maker as a viable contender in the hotly contested midsize sedan segment for the first time in years.
The last time Ford dominated it was selling the original version of the Taurus, a quarter-century ago. But after shifting focus to its SUV line, that once-heralded sedan lost its momentum and eventually turned into little more than a rent-a-car option. The Japanese took over in the midsize market, a dominant position they have held ever since.
The outgoing Fusion has done surprisingly well, though it has never posed a real threat to the segment leader, the Toyota Camry. But Ford believes the new model just might. In designing the 2013 Fusion, Ford was “aiming for the sweet spot” in the market,” said CEO Mulally.
For the maker that meant a combination of stand-out design, great features and top-of-the-chart fuel economy.
Like the original ’86 Taurus, the new Fusion is visually striking. It “just turns your head,” boasted Mulally. The maker is betting that’s a strong advantage in a segment traditionally known for bland styling. Certainly, the Camry has been faulted, if for anything, for its plain vanilla design.
The 2013 Fusion, meanwhile, has been loaded up with all sorts of features, including the next-generation MyFordTouch infotainment technology which, the maker is hoping, will resolve earlier problems with the touch and voice-controlled system. On the safety front there’ll be a new Lane Keeping System 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.
But with U.S. fuel prices again on the rise, it may be mileage that will be the real big seller. And the EPA has given the hybrid version of the 2013 Ford Fusion a 47 mpg rating – 47 in both the City and Highway cycles, and 47 mpg Combined. That’s a best-in-class number and a full 8 mpg over the Camry Hybrid on the highway.
The Fusion also will offer a plug-in version later in the model-year expected to get a rating near 100 MPGe, that the new category used by the EPA for advanced battery-electric offerings.
Fusion, meanwhile, will also offer three relatively conventional gas engines, including a downsized 1.6-liter EcoBoost that is rated at 37 mpg highway – a single mile per gallon short of segment leader Nissan Altima.
Altima is also all-new for 2013, and Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn has declared his intention of making it the midsize best-seller in the coming year.
But Honda has similar intentions and is just starting to deliver the first of its new Accord model to dealers around the country. Ford’s cross-town rival Chevrolet, meanwhile, is weighing in with the new Malibu. It launched a special Eco version earlier in the year. And while it’s now a year old, don’t expect Toyota to settle back with the Camry. It is introducing a new 4-cylinder version of the sporty SE for 2013, and has made it clear it will do everything possible to keep the sedan at the top of the heap.
Perhaps, then, it’s no surprise that in interview Ford CEO Mulally didn’t try to overstate the maker’s ambitions for the new Fusion. While he said the new model “will speak for itself,” he cautioned that Ford is “not necessarily” hoping to make the sedan number one in the competitive midsize market.
Industry analysts actually say that’s good news because an over-ambitious Ford could wind up heating up the incentive wars – as it routinely did in the past – driving down profits for itself and for its competition.
That said, it’s clear Ford wants to carve out a bigger share of the market for itself with the new Fusion. In 2011, midsize passenger cars generated about 2.3 million sales in the U.S. and that number is forecast to reach 2.5 million for all of 2012. Looking further ahead, the segment is expected to keep growing as motorists weary of paying to fuel up their SUVs shift back to passenger cars. Mulally suggested midsize models could ultimately account for a full third of total U.S. sales.
So, even if the new Fusion doesn’t displace th Camry – or Accord or Altima – a stronger showing in the crowded market could be all that Ford needs.