If I were in the market for a new car today, I would give serious consideration to the new 2013 Ford Fusion — it is that special.
The new Fusion has a new face, beautiful styling, a sleek silhouette, more than a touch of luxury, excellent power, wonderful handling and delivers excellent fuel economy.
Fusion is available in three trim levels — S, SE and Titanium — and several power options, including a pair of EcoBoost fourcylinder engines, a normally aspirated fourcylinder engine, and both hybrid and plugin hybrid alternatives. Also available is an automatic start stop system to shut off the engine at stationary idle, front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive applications, and a choice between automatic and manually shifted six-speed transmissions.
The 1.6 liter EcoBoost engine is the base power and it delivers a combined 26/37 mpg. The 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine is paired with a paddle-shift six-speed SelectShift Automatic transmission, available 19-inch wheels and tires, and all-wheel drive with the ability to send additional torque to the rear. It’s the Fusion performance option.
The Fusion Hybrid now comes with allnew lithium-ion batteries that save weight and generate more power than the old nickelmetal hydride batteries, while raising maximum speed under electric-only power from 47 mph to 62 mph. It also has an all-new 2.0- liter Atkinson cycle four-cylinder gasoline engine, significantly downsized from the previous 2.5-liter unit, while maintaining performance standards. The innovative powertrain delivers fuel economy of 47 mpg in city driving and 44 mpg on the highway.
Topping the fuel-efficiency ladder is the Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid, which Ford says is the most fuel-efficient midsize car in the world with more than 100 mpg.
Fusion offers a laundry list of driver assistance and convenience technologies based on sensors, cameras and radar that enable the car to “see” and respond. Specific technologies include:
Lane Keeping System — Uses a small camera behind the rearview mirror to monitor lane lines to determine that the car is on course. The system alerts a driver if drowsiness or erratic lane-changing is detected, warns with steering wheel vibration if the car drifts too close to lane markings and will apply pressure on the steering to help bring the car back into proper lane position.
Adaptive cruise control — Using radar, the system “looks” down the road and slows the car when slower traffic is detected ahead.Adaptive cruise control enables collision warning with brake support to help slow the car if a potential crash is detected.
Active park assist — Sensors identify a suitable parallel parking space, calculate the trajectory and steer the car to properly position it within the spot.
Base price range on the 2013 Ford Fusion is $21,700 to $32,200.
Ron Beasley is the automotive editor for Miami’s Community Newspapers. He may be contacted by calling 305-662-2277, ext. 261, or by addressing email correspondence to LetsTalkCars@aol.com
