A quick reminder: the Toyota Prius OWNS America’s hybrid market. Year-to-date, the Japanese automaker’s sold 142,365 Priora. Even during October’s carpocalypse, at a time when gas prices have fallen back to pre-Katrina levels, ToMoCo shifted 11,804 of the gas – electric hybrids (down “just” 13.6 percent). All other hybrids– including Toyota’s Camry gas – electric variant– must live off of crumbs from the Prius’ table. So when Ford announces it’s about to sell a hybrid Fusion with better mileage than the Camry hybrid– a six (according to the press release) or five (according to Automotive News) mpg improvement around town and an indeterminate number on the highway, the words “big whoop” spring to mind. Or even, perhaps, why bother? Certainly the Gods of Corporate Average Fuel Economy must be satiated. But doesn’t Ford have to sell the vehicles for them to count against F-150 mpgs? As for the badge-engineered Milan hybrid, well you gotta put Mercury’s babe on your website! In your garage? Not so much. (The car. Not Jill.) More interesting: SmartGauge™ with EcoGuide. The doo-hickey “coaches” hybrid drivers to maximize fuel efficiency. John Madden voice prompts optional, presumably. Oh, and props to The Blue Oval Boyz for improving the 2.5-liter I4 Fusion for better torque, and offering a six-speed manual.
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We need more pics like this, less clothing if possible.
At least Ford has a clue to what the market wants. Save Mulally…can the rest.
So what is the plural of Prius after all?
Priuses? Priora? Prii? Priae? Pries? Pria? Prius?
Prions
Wait wait wait. Ok, so its not a Prius. Big whoop about that. You make it sound like they shouldn’t even bother bringing out such an inferior vehicle, since it isn’t a Prius.
Sorry, gonna have to disagree with the logic on this one. The car is going to have exceptional MPG while being larger, better looking, and likely a hell of a lot sportier than a Prius AND it will beat its midsize vehicle rivals on MPG. I wouldn’t exactly say a Camry Hybrid and a Fusion Hybrid are in the same class as a Prius. We don’t compare Camry and Corolla MPGs so why are we comparing Fusion and Prius?
What’s so bad about this?
I don’t think the 5-6 mpg edge over the Camry hybrid is just a “big whoop” deal. I think it’s a good sign to people that, while empty-headed environmentalist types might think Toyota is the Lord of Innovation, Ford is more than keeping pace. I’m quite excited about the upcoming Fusion, though I’m disappointed that they’re only going to produce 25,000 of the Fusion/Milan twins.
I don’t know. I have turned into something of a Ford booster after comparing the leadership of the domestics; I think it’s clear that Ford is the only company that has a good fighting chance at straightening themselves out, even without government handouts (though the collapse of GM & Chrysler would screw up the supply chain and wallop Ford). The “big whoop” hybrids are clearly GM’s mild hybrids, the hybrid Malibu and Aura.
In any case, I’m not going to dump on them for this; Ford has, hopefully, produced a handsome, efficient, appealing vehicle. It’ll get some consideration from me, that’s for sure.
What’s so bad about this?
It’s not bad per se. It’s actually a good move. But it won’t change anything. It’s a tiny segment we’re talking about here.
It’s a step into the right direction, but it’s not the next big thing.
No pics so far of the size/location of the Fusion/Milan hybrid’s battery pack. We won’t know other details until closer to launch such as pricing and tax rebate. The Escape Hybrid MSRP’s at about $29+K, the rebate-less Camry Hybrid at $26+K.
I’m curious as to whether or not the siblings also got the 2009 Mazda6’s front suspension tweak to reduce the large turning circle.
It’s also interesting to note that rolling over the payword Hybrid in this posting gives you a Toyota Certified Used Vehicle ad.
Someone isn’t cutting back on all-important advertising.
I agree with Jerome. Mercury should be given encouragement (?) by moving in the right direction. The big question: is it offered in stick?
How ironic that it will be made in Mexico and will compete against Japanese products made in the USA (Camry Hybrid now and then the Prius when the US factory cranks up). Give ’em the money! Save Mexican jobs!
“I’m curious as to whether or not the siblings also got the 2009 Mazda6’s front suspension tweak to reduce the large turning circle.”
That would be very useful. The company car is an ’07 Fusion and that’s easily the worst part of the day-to-day driving experience.
New Fusion/Milan Hybrid Beats Camry Hybrid’s MPGs. And?
And… a nasty looking, sub-par, GM Cobalt rippoff interior (center stack)…which is exactly the same in both cars.
The buying public has curiously avoided hybrid versions of otherwise pedestrian offerings (Altima, Camry, Aura, Civic, etc). The only vehicle that made a [smallish] dent in the Prius market was the Escape – largely because no other option existed for anyone wanting to haul the scantest amount of cargo. Otherwise, hybrid buyers want the “hey look at me – I’m green!” charm of a unique vehicle. The statement is hardly as loud when they have to squint to find the hybrid badge to differentiate the car. Thus, the shameless badging of GM SUV hybrids… which didn’t fool anybody.
On that basis, the Fusion Hybrid has a shot about as well as the Camry’s which ain’t much – especially considering its current sales deficit in gasoline versions. If Ford wants a big seller Hybrid, they’ll need a unique model – at a competitive price point – not like the exorbitantly priced Volt.
While on GM, I have to call foul on their claims of “more hybrid models than Toyota.” Combined, their sales don’t even register a blip on the Prius’ radar – rendering the argument moot.
Robert Farago,
I’ european and I drive a 2007 Ford Focus 1.6 TDCi that makes 4,5 liters/100 km. Enough said, Prius isn’t for me the big deal about it’s mileage. But, you’re in America and diesel isn’t “cheaper” (comparing gas/diesel could be 1$ for gallon) like here. I think that it’s a good step by Ford to sell affordable hybrids in the americas assume that gas prices will rise at mid term.
Compare Prius with a Hybrid Focus (when avariable), not Prius with Fusion hybrid. Or, better, compare my car with Prius…
By itself, the hybrid Fusion/Milan (Mercury, why are you not dead?) is a not a great product triumph, but it shows that Ford has a serious plan to create a diversified product base so that it can weather changes in fuel prices and consumer whims.
Small cars, Fiesta and next gen Focus, check. Midsize, refreshed Fusion, check. Large, 2010 Taurus, Check. CUV, Escape, Edge, Flex, check. Truck, 2009 F Series, check. Basically, Ford appears to be reading the Toyota product portfolio strategy (Fuel prices up-> Tundra suck, but Prius perk up) and copying it (did I mention they appear to be trying to minimize Mercury to create two N/A brands, Ford and Lincoln like Toyata/Lexus, Nissan/Infiniti, Honda/Acura).
The hybrid Fusion may be a bit dull, but it shows why Ford will be celebrating 2010 as the only American-based car company not in bankruptcy.
I don’t quite get it.
One of the most profitable and important vehicle categories in the US is the 4-door, midsize family sedan. Ford just introduced an upgrade to a proven, existing family sedan that’s already selling well. That upgrade gives its family sedan two major advantages: class-leading gas mileage, and a powertrain that’s reliable as rock.
Prius is a technology fad; one can only charge 30K for a 20K car for so long before the consumer shifts their tastes (ask Detroit about their SUV goldmine). Mid-size family sedan is here to stay, though, whether we like it or not. Amazing as it is, a mid-size family sedan has to be efficient, reliable, and offer value. If Ford doesn’t try to price it above 30K, they have a class leader in all three.
Oh, and props to The Blue Oval Boyz for improving the 2.5-liter I4 Fusion for better torque, and offering a six-speed manual.
In today’s frugal times, this would be just the ticket for me. I am not a Ford-booster, but I think the Fusion is something of an unsung hero that is far too often overlooked.
What type of hybrid powertrain are they using ?
I guess I should clarify my above. I realize it isn’t going to make or break Ford. It is a drop in the bucket. However, the Fusion is a very solid car, with top quality ratings, and Ford’s Hybrid system is also very well done. It should be a good car, and I just disagree with the tone making it sound like because it isn’t a Prius Ford shouldn’t bother.
And beyond that, one of the biggest knocks against Detroit is “they don’t make hybrids”. This is likely to be a very well done hybrid with excellent fuel economy that will sell for a reasonable price and be somewhat fun to drive. No moon-shots, no Prius fighters, but a solid entry in the class. Precisely the car Ford needs not only as an expansion of the lineup and hopefully bring in some sales, but also image wise. The Escape is very good. This should be too, yet people don’t seem to know that.
As an aside, seems everyone talks about “hybrids” and how Detroit doesn’t make them. I think its always important to point out that by “hybrids” most people mean “Prius”. I’m not so convinced it is the hybrid part that people keep blabbin about (otherwise we’d see way more Camrys, Malbus, Escapes, RX450h, and Civic Hybrids on the roads than we do), its that they want the hybrid (Prius) image of green-conscious earth savers. I’ve always maintained the Prius is an exception. It just happens to be hybrid. We’ll know the answer for sure once the new Insight arrives (if its as popular as a Prius for the same reasons or if it ends up like all the other hybrids). I’m sure the Insight will be good, but I got a hunch it won’t sell much….because it isn’t a Prius. Only the Prius has the name that will get it the big sales.
But this is a good move for Ford. They shouldn’t give up on hybrids just because volumes are low, just like they shouldn’t give up on full size trucks just because the market is imploding (directed at those who look at how “backwards” Detroit is because Ford is introducing a new F150…”they should just stop building trucks and start building vehicles the public wants to buy” type folks).
Want the Fusion hybrid to be unique and clearly Green? Then make it in a unique wagon version that is only available with a hybrid drive train. Throw out the old thinking about wagons. This would work. It wouldn’t be a Prius killer, obviously, but it would be something special relative to the sedan. Dub it the Ford Reaction.
Wagons Ho.
I saw very few Milan/Fusion on roads around NYC. They are driven mostly by drivers associated with Buick – septuagenarians. There is a good number of them on rental lots. I doubt that they threaten leaders in this segment: Camry, Accord, Altima and Mazda 6. Hybrid will raise the price, not volume. Another kink that very same hybrid will increase the cost of the whole line-up: special operation above and beyond usual product mix. On the surface it is a good move, in practice it will be distraction. Ford needs volume car, not a niche car. At the moment Ford has a slew of niche cars and as we noticed it hasn’t work all that well. Or did it? If it a sound strategy, why are those hearings in DC?
I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’ve talked to many of my friends who are in the automobile business, primarily sales, and what I’m hearing is that people are pretty much DONE paying $30K+ for cars of any type. A friend at a Subaru dealership said that while the BASE Forester and BASE Outback are still good sellers, MOST people these days are looking for BASE Impreza’s at about $16K. Tribecas sit on the lot, and ANYTHING V6 sits still. Another friend at a Toyota dealership backs this up with Corolla and BASE Camry sales leading the pack by far. I don’t think most Americans are going to ‘forget’ the $4.50 per gallon gas of last summer, and start buying Dodge Rams @ 9 MPG again. The days of selling $40K+ pickups is obviously over (and it should be), and with financing requiring actual down payments again (20%), $500-600 monthly payments aren’t so doable. Everyone I talk to fully expects $3.50-4.00 gas next spring/summer, so this brief reprieve we’re seeing now at $2.00 isn’t to be trusted in most people’s minds.
If Detroit wants to sell Hybrids of any brand, they better not make them cost $30K, in my opinion.
Americans WILL NOT BUY a Detroit $30K hybrid … I know I wouldn’t even consider it. If I was going to spend $30K on a hybrid, it damn well won’t be a product from Detroit. Detroit (and Toyota for that matter) better learn that while some buy Hybrids to ‘look green’ to their friends, MOST buy them for economy, both in initial cost and fuel economy.
Prius is a technology fad;
No, it’s not. People who say this might as well say “fuel injection is a fad”.
Hybrid powertrains are going to show up everywhere, just perhaps not in the way people think. They’re simply the next in a long line of technologies (direct injection, fuel injection, lock-up torque converters, variable valve timing) that increases the efficiency of a given drivetrain.
It doesn’t matter if your car is run by gas, diesel, propane, nuclear fission or pixie dust: the kind of technology in the Prius will end up in every car, because as resources become scare and expensive, efficiency becomes more and more important.
Even electric-only cars are going to need regenerative braking, electronically-controlled continuously variable transmissions, idle-stop and the like. In fact, they’ll need it more because the energy storage ability of batteries is way, way behind that of gasoline.
ray24 :
I’ european and I drive a 2007 Ford Focus 1.6 TDCi that makes 4,5 liters/100 km. Enough said, Prius isn’t for me the big deal about it’s mileage.
it’s not the mileage that attracts americans to the prius, it’s the green aspect.
Strippo :
Want the Fusion hybrid to be unique and clearly Green? Then make it in a unique wagon version that is only available with a hybrid drive train. Throw out the old thinking about wagons. This would work.
interesting idea. although, i’d like to see a conventional i4 based fusion wagon stripped to come in at below $20k. there would be virtually no competition and i think it would defy conventional wisdom and sell…
a true taurus wagon would do well. and i’m not talking about the explorer wanna be taurus x.
there’s something nostalgic and practical about an american station wagon: bring ’em back!
jgholt: Otherwise, hybrid buyers want the “hey look at me – I’m green!” charm of a unique vehicle.
Unproven. There’s only one highest-mileage least-polluting car, and in an incredible engineering achievement it’s a practical 5-door midsize car, not a cramped subcompact, for a reasonable $23K. That’s the reason other hybrid models don’t sell as well, not their looks.
alex_rashev: Prius is a technology fad; one can only charge 30K for a 20K car before the consumer shifts their tastes
Ridiculous. Environmental concerns aren’t going away. And the Prius list is $22,000-$24,270. And soon any car that can’t recover energy while braking and that continues to burn gas at a standstill will be seen as hopelessly primitive.
So much FUD, so little time.
1. Prius IS midsize. Smaller than Camry? Sure. Smaller than Fusion? Sure. Bigger than Corolla and Focus, though (much bigger).
2. Your diesel Focus doesn’t touch the Prius in real-world mileage, if past “Prius killers” are to be believed. And it’s dirtier than sin.
3. Ford deserves praise for building a real hybrid, not GM’s bullshit. And the Camry Hybrid is a decent car, so if they can beat that in mileage, they’ve done well.
4. Most people buy the Prius because it delivers superior mileage in a midsize package (can carry a lot of stuff, back seat room is superb). By now, all the people who wanted a green “look at me” package have had it for 3 or 4 years. It’s well ensconsced in the top 20 these days, outselling the entire marquee of a couple GM brands.
Some of this crap needs to be retired. Find some new FUD, please.