Fifty-two miles per gallon is, it has to be said, a lot of miles per gallon. And who better to say it than Pulitzer Prize-winning caramudgeon and Top Gear USA bullet dodger Dan Neil? In a column founded upon the old English expression “I can’t win from losing,” Neil lauds FoMoCo’s gas – electric fusion Fusion. “Wait, so, has somebody invented the car of the future and didn’t tell us? It’s a worthy question. The scolding undercurrent of recent congressional hearings on the auto-industry bailout was the notion that Detroit had failed to invest in next-generation technology that could help wean us off foreign oil. Not so. What they did fail to do was sufficiently commercialize this technology so that it was ready and waiting at dealerships when people got stampeded this year by spiraling gas prices. Had Ford made a few hundred thousand of these cars available in June — along with the financing to sell them — we’d be erecting 50-foot equestrian statues of William Clay Ford and Alan Mulally in city squares, and the streets of Dearborn, Mich., would be repaved with diamond cobblestones.” As if. “The price of gas has dropped by two-thirds in six months, thereby de-motivating buyers who might have been willing to bear the incremental cost of a hybrid. What we really need is an increased federal gas tax, but the chances of that getting passed in Congress are comparable to my chances of being named Miss Universe.” To quote another English aphorism, Dan, you gotta be in it to win it.
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It’s heartening to hear some good news coming from one of the Big Three. If Ford PR is to be believed, the Fusion Hybrid will beat the Camry hybrid by 5 mpg on the highway.
I still think that most consumers will stick with conventional non-hybrid engines (at least for now), but the Fusion will be a player in the hybrid market, IMO.
The standard Ford Fusion is a decent car. I am not convinced of the benefits of a hybrid. The Prius gets Toyota a lot of good PR way beyond the actual sales figures. The political and media “intelligensia” have declared the hybrid the path to automotive perfection. This Ford Fusion hybrid is a way to tap into that buzz.
The example in the picture you’ve provided looks as if it’s hiding. I can’t really see its flanks against the hillside. This must be a new color called “Drab Blah Charcoal Gray”. Somebody pass the Zoloft please.
Anyhow, I’ve seen the hybrid Fusion in better colors/lighting and I like what I see. The interior is improved.
I can’t wait for a TTAC review!!
This is really impressive. Except for my wife’s blood oath never to buy a Ford again, I’d be very interested in this car.
I’ll happily do my part to vote out the XXXXXXXX trying to further tax gasoline. Some folks just don’t get the fact that elected officials sole purpose is to enforce the will of the people. The will of the people (except for a minority of people that think they should determine what the “common good” is) is that no one wants to pay extra for gas. Don’t believe me? Have the nation vote on it. Democracy’s a bitch ain’t it? :D
This car is quite impressive, and I personally think it looks a whole lot prettier than Dan Neil. It also looks much prettier than a Camry.
Gimme a big tax credit on a Ranchero’ed version with a cap or, better yet, a sedan delivery, and the Ranger retires.
Small urban delivery vehicles need this technology.
In fact, since the basic tooling has been paid off for at least a decade, why not hybridize the Ranger? You could probably get a reasonably well-equipped one to market for around $17-18K for the basic single-cab work truck.
If I were in the market for a midsize hybrid sedan, I’d give this a serious look. This is more proof that Ford gets it where GM simply doesn’t. It’s a good car in its own right and as a hybrid it makes the Malibu hybrid look even more embarrassing for GM.
@zenith;
The Transit Connect with this drive train could be pretty appealing for the urban delivery vehicle you’re asking for.
If it was available with a stick, in a wagon, for under $10,000 I might be interested.
Otherwise, NO. I HATE THIS CAR. DIE CAR.
/end obnoxiousness
@ reclusive_in_nature
Sometimes you have to look forward by more than next quarter and your own “freedom” to see why fuel efficiency is important for the USA.
When you’re all driving inefficient cars/trucks with fuel at $8/gallon in 3-6-10-15years time you’ll all be saying “How did we get here? Damn Government.”
Good for Ford – isn’t it a Mazda? (Apart from the hybrid bit?)
Justin, was that a sardonic lampoon of some of the posters here on TTAC? Bravo, such realism.
This is really impressive. Except for my wife’s blood oath never to buy a Ford again, I’d be very interested in this car.
I wonder how much this hurts Ford, and the D3 in general. Built shit cars, lose your rep, no one buys your vehicles, lost market share, etc. Now you (maybe) finally build something great and …
I think Ford needs to add a handful of ridiculous, incongruous styling cues.
Seriously though it looks me to look a decent, cleanly designed, middle of the road sedan. I am becoming something for ‘Ford booster’ these days, and if this can be Camry’s mileage, I’d love to see Ford with another first gen Taurus on their hands.
A wagon would be good though.
@ Justin Berkowitz: you forgot AWD. And diesel.
But wait… there IS an AWD Fusion… but any chance that version being hybridized?
52 mpg (ok, it was hypermiled) and a reasonable price tag is a pleasant shocker to this reader… quite possibly because I haven’t seen ANY promotion of this in the MSM. Ford has historically been absolutely AWFUL at marketing cars – especially if they’re good ones. This car needs some major attention – stat. Good PR is in short supply in Detroit right now.
Smart people know this cheap gas is just a tease. It’s not going to last. Furthermore, what does it hurt NOT to use more gas?
@ ZCline
I wonder how much this hurts Ford, and the D3 in general. Built shit cars, lose your rep, no one buys your vehicles, lost market share, etc. Now you (maybe) finally build something great and …
It’s the riddle wrapped in the enigma of the mystery.
Industry figures show sliding market share for GM/Chrysler and lower repeat buyer rates than their competitors. (Ford actually gained a point or two of market share – good for them).
GM/Chrysler need to disappear at these unit levels for anyone to prosper again soon.
By keeping GM/Chrysler alive the market remains hugely distorted. I wonder if their response will be to discount to create volume to stay alive and attract buyers? That end game will be very violent against more cashed up players, unless the US taxpayer is prepared to keep sending money into the sink hole.
The Camry looks like a fat hedgehog with a wart sticking out of it’s nose.
The Accord looks like it was conceived by 17 designers who wanted it to appeal to 17 different customers at the same time.
The Malibu? Different shade of bland but better looking than the other two. Mostly by default.
This Fusion? If Ford can promote the hell out of it and keep up with the quality they will have a serious hit on their hands.
Oddly enough, the only automaker I see making headway in the midsized car segment is Hyundai/Kia. I think they’ll be porking up their offering though which should be good for the Fusion. A slim and athletic look in this market segment is truly a rare thing.
jgh :
you forgot AWD.
D’oh!
And diesel.
Double d’oh!
But wait… there IS an AWD Fusion… but any chance that version being hybridized?
Nah. AWD and hybrid belongs to the Escape. Fusion Hybrid will be FWD only to maximize MPGs.
If you want AWD, then it’s the 3.0 V6 or 3.5 V6 for you. They dumped the I4 AWD for this generation.
Fusion looks unfinished to me (exterior) and they gotta offer AWD to convince Legacy etc owners to take a serious look.
Mileage is very important, I fully agree and it will become critical in a couple of years but there are other important things as well – and half the country gets snow, you know…
I can’t wait to drive one of these. Ford has the smoothest hybrid system in the business and according to all of the common reliability metrics, the company is pretty slick there too.
I’ve spent some quality time in a Milan and it’s a fine car. Not quite as polished as an Accord but it’s very close. The styling is clean, the price is nice, and 50 MPG sounds delightful, regardless of gas prices.
Good on Ford for going through with this. They’re the only one of the Detroit 3 that I think will be around in five years and products like this are why.
kamm,
While the Fusion (old and new) is a bit dull for “look-at-me” boom times, plainer may be better in our post-crash economy.
Less attention-getting styling may be just the thing people want to reduce their visibility to vandals, panhandlers, etc.
Ford’s buyers for dull styling in the next couple of years may be surprisingly upscale.
Is it just a tease?
All the “smart people” knew it was going to be 8/gallon by next summer and here we are with prices cratered. Since demand is down by historic rates of 3% or so, and the price dropped by 100 bucks a barrel, I think we can safely conclude that the price spike wasn’t connected to supply or demand, and that we really have no f’ing idea of what its going do next.
I’m sure this phase won’t last forever either, but there’s really no reason to assume its heading to 8 a gallon anytime soon.
If I want to buy a car that can get 50mpg I will buy a VW golf mk2 or 3 diesel and then turbocharge it for under 5k easily. There is no need to buy these 30k + look at me I am driving a hybrid cars when there are options available for far less. It may not have luxuries but shouldnt trying to being efficent have compromises to get the most out of it while still being safe?
@ BMW325I
People often confuse why Hybrids are important.
They’re not just about MPG, but also about CO2 emitted.
VW Golf 1.9L TDI emits ~150g/km CO2
Prius emits ~100g/km CO2
(UK figures)
Regardless of gas prices, better mpg = good. I’d love to see a wagon version, but we all know how much the US loves wagons…..
“BMW325I :
December 21st, 2008 at 9:55 pm
If I want to buy a car that can get 50mpg I will buy a VW golf mk2 or 3 diesel and then turbocharge it for under 5k easily.”
What a load of bollocks – I was born and raised in the EU and never drove *ANY* car with 4-5L/100km, much less gas Golf (forget the idiocy of the GTI.)
Diesel gets much better mileage but still not quite 4.7L (50MPG) either, let alone turbo version.
In fact the only car I’ve ever met with less than 6L was Suzuki Swift (a.k.a. Geo Metro in the US) and, of course, the Topolino (the *original* Cinquecento.)
Here’s another reason why Ford is in better shape than GM or Chrysler. Too bad the eco-weenies who buy hydrids need them to stand out like Priuses so they can act superior to the rest of us and probably won’t buy these.
@ ACD
Any chance the majority of F-150 drivers think they’re somehow “superior”? I thought that was the defining characteristic of that type of buyer.
@PeteMoran
Not remotely. What’s left of the F150 buyers buy their trucks to actually use as trucks, not for show. (unlike those hybrid nancy-boys)
@ Droid800
There is a recession, yet the F-150 is a best-seller? You would think quiet tradesmen would be re-thinking upgrading, or contractors mightn’t be able to afford them with the credit crisis.
I think you know that those trucks aren’t being sold to people who need them, but just won’t admit it. It’s for the same reason those same buyers think they should have one; delusion.
Still any ol’ excuse is OK to bash the hybrid drivers eh? Keep it up, and Ford definitely won’t sell many.
“Droid800 :
December 22nd, 2008 at 12:09 am
@PeteMoran
Not remotely. What’s left of the F150 buyers buy their trucks to actually use as trucks, not for show. (unlike those hybrid nancy-boys)”
Is it me or you’re indeed seriously claiming that rednecks buy F150 because they need it?
You can’t be serious…*
Hilarious, that is.
*(Sans the case of small d!cks need large cars to help with their ego problems when they face those educated and eco-conscious hybrid nancy boys, hah!)
Acd :
Here’s another reason why Ford is in better shape than GM or Chrysler. Too bad the eco-weenies who buy hydrids need them to stand out like Priuses so they can act superior to the rest of us and probably won’t buy these.
Some hybrid buyers just want to save gas or get into the carpool lane.
Actually most people I know with Prius-es are Republicans. By definition, Republicans can’t be weenies.
There is a recession, yet the F-150 is a best-seller? You would think quiet tradesmen would be re-thinking upgrading, or contractors mightn’t be able to afford them with the credit crisis.
Tradesmen buy trucks when they need them. They’re not thinking of upgrading, they’re thinking of replacing a vehicle with 200,000 miles that needs to be replaced. Just wondering, how many tradesmen do you know personally?
Last time I looked the F-150 was on target for about a 450,000 unit year, compared to 700,000-800,000 in typical recent years, so the fact that it’s a best-seller means little. To tradesmen a truck is a tool. When the pipe threader wears out, a plumber isn’t going to say, oh my, what will I do? They’ll go out and buy another one because their livelihood depends on it.
I think you know that those trucks aren’t being sold to people who need them, but just won’t admit it. It’s for the same reason those same buyers think they should have one; delusion.
Once again, just how many tradesmen do you know? With so few people that do actual labor for a living, it’s not surprising that so many pontificate about those who do.
Still any ol’ excuse is OK to bash the hybrid drivers eh?
Any different from those who stereotype pickup truck drivers?
The notion that pickup owners have notions of superiority is laughable. Priuses don’t come with all those “save the world” “my politics and lifestyle make me morally superior to you” bumper stickers from the factory, you know. I’ve never had a pickup owner tell me, with a straight face, that he doesn’t drive it because it makes him feel good about himself, he drives it to save future generations.
(Sans the case of small d!cks need large cars to help with their ego problems when they face those educated and eco-conscious hybrid nancy boys, hah!)
The cliche warehouse called and said they’re about to run out of stock.
I can’t stand people who buy trucks and never use them for their intended purpose, BUT I’d gladly fight to the death for their right to purchase them. Gasoline prices will go up on their own and when they do the masses will buy fuel efficient vehicles. Until they do we don’t need government stepping in and forcing people to do something they don’t want to do. A select minority forcing the general populace to do something they don’t want to do is still fascism/tryany/totalitarian even if some self righteous jerk thinks it’s for “the common good”.
@ Ronnie Schreiber
how many tradesmen do you know personally?
A few actually, here in Australia. Not a single one of them “needs” a monstrous, unsafe, uneconomical and just plain ridiculous “truck”.
Somehow, lots of work seems to get done especially here in Australia without one of those vehicles. We manage with Hilux/Tacoma’s, vans and at most very light trucks that really are only work related like Isuzu/Hino models.
On my many travels through city, rural and mining USA, when you press people, apart from the real hardcore, they say “yeah, I could survive without it, but I just want one, it’s the American dream!” Even in shopping malls!
Ronnie, I think what you’re trying to suggest that somehow the crazed obsession with F-150s and their like is branded unfairly. The rest of the world calls you out on it, because those vehicles just don’t exist in those countries where surprisingly, trade work gets done just fine (even in snow and ice).
Priuses don’t come with all those “save the world” “my politics and lifestyle make me morally superior to you” bumper stickers from the factory
And the F-150’s don’t come with “Don’t Mess With Texas” stickers or Confederate flags.
So, good luck to Ford if the hardcore F-150s “workers” come out branding hybrid buyers as “eco-weenies”. You just lost a few Fusion Hybrid customers (again).
I’m disappointed but not surprised to see that like every other hybrid sedan, accommodating the battery pack has been achieved at the expense of (the lack of) folding rear seats. Got to give some credit to the Prius here, it remains the only hybrid car on the market with any cargo space flexibility.
@ reclusive_in_nature
Gasoline prices will go up on their own and when they do the masses will buy fuel efficient vehicles.
Yes, that’s true of itself, but the problem for the nation starts today. Every inefficient vehicle (I mean large ones purchased when not required as well), will become a problem in the future for that owner and the nation in increased energy import costs.
I believe in April 2008, the USA was importing 12m bbl/day. While that was the worst figure, the gap is still likely to widen. Every efficient car purchased today will be a saving in 3-5-10 years time.
If consumers aren’t going to choose fuel efficient vehicles, the alternative is to force the manufacturers to make them, hence the Energy Independence Act and it’s effect on vehicle manufacture. If that means it’s much more expensive or even impossible to build an F-150 with the required MPG rating, then unfortunately, there is a greater good being done.
Everyone that has driven this Ford (lately) has commented on the sophistication of the drivetrain (esp the seamless transition between EV and Hybrid mode), for this Ford should be applauded. The lack of a folding rear seat my deter some buyers, but a “nice” sedan that gets 35+MPG is just what the future calls for. I hope Ford sells a lot of these to buyers who know full well that gas is NOT going to stay where it is now.
Me? I’d really love this car if it had plug in/preheat capability, to fully take advantage of its 40+MPH capability in EV mode.
From what I’ve seen of the Fusion, I’d most certainly buy this car . Unfortunately, I don’t have $28 large sitting around. If I did, I’d be sitting on 31 ingots of gold in my panic room, watching “Road House” for the 53rd time, waiting for the coming class war.
Patrick Swayzee > Chuck Norris.
@allerton: the upcoming Honda Insight is, like the Prius also a hatchback with fold-down rear seat, but it’s a compact, vs. a mid-size car.
Fusion Hybrid sounds impressive, but out of my range. I’ve never paid that much ($28K base) for a car, and I don’t qualify for the federal tax rebate.
I think the Fusion is a prime example of why Ford is going to weather the economic problems in this country better than the other domestic auto manufacturers.
It matters not that gas is getting cheaper. What matters is the inevitability of CAFE mileage increases in the coming years so that the government is “doing something” about it.
PeteMoran: A few actually, here in Australia. Not a single one of them “needs” a monstrous, unsafe, uneconomical and just plain ridiculous “truck”.
We are talking about America, not Australia.
And what matters is whether they can afford it, and whether they like it. Given this economic climate (tight credit, concerns about job losses, etc.), I’m sure that anyone who is buying one can afford it.
Therefore, it is no one else’s business.
PeteMoran: On my many travels through city, rural and mining USA, when you press people, apart from the real hardcore, they say “yeah, I could survive without it, but I just want one, it’s the American dream!” Even in shopping malls!
So what? It’s their money. Unless they ask me to start making the monthly payments, I don’t care, as I learned a long time ago that minding my own business is not only good manners, it’s the best approach to life.
PeteMoran: Yes, that’s true of itself, but the problem for the nation starts today. Every inefficient vehicle (I mean large ones purchased when not required as well), will become a problem in the future for that owner and the nation in increased energy import costs.
Yawn…the sky has been falling for the past 50 years in this regard. But somehow, life goes on…
@ geeber
Thank you, you expressed it perfectly; it’s a particular kind of selfishness that just can’t be reasoned with…..
@kamm:
“but there are other important things as well – and half the country gets snow, you know”
Yes, I know, and in a foot of it this weekend my RWD car did just fine thanks. (FYI, the secret is snow tires, not 4WD)
Yes, I know, and in a foot of it this weekend my RWD car did just fine thanks. (FYI, the secret is snow tires, not 4WD)
Agreed. My 350Z was fine and run in the snow last year with a good set of Blizzaks. At a certain point ground clearance becomes an issue though.
I like how you guys slip in “What we really need is an increased federal gas tax, but the chances of that getting passed in Congress are comparable to my chances of being named Miss Universe.”. That is the quickest way to kill our floundering economy. Do you want this recession to last 10 years? What happens when the price of oil goes back up to $150 per barrel, would the government repeal their NEW gas tax – I DON’T THINK SO. I would be interested in this car without the government jacking up gas prices – I’m always trying to save a buck. I think the rest of the country would be also. High gas prices was the last straw on the camels back that broke the economy. At last, a stylish AMERICAN hybrid sedan that really gets good gas mileage – and its a FORD!! Ford doesn’t need a bailout – they just need us to buy their excellent cars.
Looks like the EPA tests are complete:
Fusion scores 41mpg City
I’m impressed.