The New Ford Fusion

The new Ford Fusion and Fusion Hybrid deliver superior performance on all of the features that matter most to consumers. They offer best-in-class fuel economy, unsurpassed quality and safety, excellent value and exclusive smart technologies. And, they are fun to drive. With these vehicles, Ford is delivering on its commitment to produce vehicles with fuel-efficiency leadership, superior quality and advanced technology, and on our plan to once again be a leader in the U.S. car market.

The 2010 Fusion gas and hybrid models both deliver the best fuel economy in their segments,1 making them the most fuel-efficient midsize sedans available in the United States. The Fusion gas model equipped with the 2.5-liter I-4 engine gets 34 mpg in highway driving, at least 3 mpg better than the Honda Accord and 2 mpg better than the Toyota Camry. The Fusion Hybrid, which gets 41 mpg city and 36 highway, has better fuel economy than any of the other midsize sedan hybrids. It beats the Toyota Camry Hybrid by 8 mpg city, 2 mpg highway and even beats the much smaller Honda Civic Hybrid by 1 mpg in city driving. The Fusion Hybrid contains Ford's next-generation hybrid propulsion technology, including a smaller, lighter nickel metal hydride battery that produces 20 percent more power than Ford's previous hybrid system. This technology also allows the vehicle to travel up to 47 miles per hour in pure electric mode – faster than the Toyota Camry and all other hybrids currently on the road.

The new Fusion also provides customers with superior value, a criterion that is very important to consumers in these difficult economic times. The Fusion offers a reasonable purchase price, high residual values and hybrid tax credits, combined with unsurpassed fuel economy and quality, which significantly lower the cost of ownership and make the Fusion and Fusion Hybrid leaders in value. The Fusion gas and hybrid models both offer the best value in their segments, with starting prices of $19,995 and $27,995 respectively. These base model prices include a wide range of safety features and smart technologies – usually found only on premium vehicles – are standard equipment. The Fusion's value is further bolstered by stronger residual values. According to Automotive Leasing Guide, a California-based consulting and data-gathering firm, the base 2010 Fusion is projected to retain 50 percent of its original value at the end of a conventional three-year lease term. For the consumer, stronger residual values mean higher trade-in values, which further increases overall value. In addition, the Fusion Hybrid is eligible for federal tax credits of $1,700 for customers who purchase between April 1, 2009, and September 30, 2009, and $850 for customers who purchase between October 1, 2009, and March 31, 2010.

The Fusion also has unsurpassed quality. It ranks better than the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord and Nissan Altima for initial quality, according to the Global Quality Research System survey, a third-party quality survey conducted by RDA Associates.

And, the new Fusion is a leader in safety. The 2010 Fusion was named a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. To receive this rating, vehicles must earn the top "good" ratings in the Institute's offset frontal and side crash tests, as well as in a rear crash-test simulation that evaluates seat and head restraints. They also must offer electronic stability control. The Fusion has exclusive safety features, including Blind Spot Information System with Cross Traffic Alert, which alerts drivers to vehicles in blind spots and approaching the vehicle's path when backing up, as well as 911 Assist, which places a call directly to 911 emergency services in the event of an airbag-deploying accident. Additional standard safety features include six air bags (dual-stage driver and front-passenger air bags, chest side air bags for front-seat occupants and side-impact air curtains) and stability control.

On top of all this, the Fusion is fun to drive and loaded with smart technologies. USA Today and Car and Driver magazine both rate the Fusion Hybrid as the most fun-to-drive hybrid available. Drivers of both the Fusion gas and hybrid models are also speaking up about the Fusion's "fun-to-drive" qualities on Facebook and other social media sites. As of March 2009, more than 50,000 enthusiasts have posted their thoughts about the Fusion on a variety of Web-based social networks.

A wide range of smart technologies are part of what make the Fusion and Fusion Hybrid so much fun to drive. Both vehicles are available with the next generation of SYNC® (the voice-activated entertainment and communication system), a Sony-branded audio system, SIRIUS® Travel Link™ (a voice-activated navigation system with the largest touch-screen in the midsize segment), ambient lighting and the Easy Fuel™ capless fuel filler.

The Fusion Hybrid also has SmartGauge™ with EcoGuide, a dashboard display that gives drivers information to help them maximize the fuel efficiency of their hybrid vehicle. Through this system, drivers can display their long-term fuel efficiency as a traditional chart or with a unique display that "grows" a leafy vine as fuel efficiency increases. The more efficient a customer is, the more lush and beautiful the leaves and vines, creating a visual reward for the driver's efforts. The SmartGauge display also shows instant fuel economy, fuel-economy history, the odometer reading, engine coolant temperature, current vehicle gear and trip data, including trip fuel economy, time-elapsed fuel economy and miles to empty. The display was developed to minimize driver distractions while providing a high level of useful information. Ford partnered with IDEO and Smart Design, two world leaders in helping consumers connect with technology, to develop this instrument cluster.