The new Ford Fusion is the most fuel-efficient mid-sized sedan for both hybrid and conventional gasoline models. The new four cylinder Ford Fusion S has been certified by the government at 34 mpg on the highway and 23 mpg in the city, beating both the gasoline-powered Camry and Honda Accord models. The Ford Fusion Hybrid model was certified at 41 mpg on the highway and 36 in the city.
Ford released this information at the January Detroit Auto Show. The weather may have been cold and snowy in Detroit, but the media and EPA auto enthusiasts received Ford’s announcement with warm enthusiasm.
The 2010 Ford Fusion fuel economy was certified at Ford Testing laboratories in Allen Park, Michigan.
The Ford Fusion is powered by a new 2.5- liter Duratec 4-cylinder engine mated to the fuel-efficient six-speed automatic transmission, and will carry certification for 34 mpg on the highway and 23 mpg in the city when they go on sale this spring.
Barb Samardzich, Ford’s Vice President of Powertrain Engineering stated, “We promised to offer best-in-class or among the best-in-class fuel economy with every new vehicle we introduced, and we are making good on that pledge with hybrids, new-tech gasoline engines, new six-speed transmissions and other fuel efficient technologies.”
Ford will also offer two V-6 engine options: the 240 horsepower 3.0-liter flex-fuel and the 263 horsepower 3.5-liter Duratec V-6. These two models start at just over $27,000.
The new Fusion, built on the reputation of the current models, will offer class-exclusive features, including Ford SYNC, SIRIUS Travel.ink, BLIS (blind spot information system) with Cross Traffic Alert and Sony branded audio.
The manual transmission Focus with 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine bested the Toyota Corolla’s 2.4 4-cylinder engine by 5 mpg and the Honda Fit’s 1.5-liter 4-cylinder engine by 2 mpg.
It was obvious for the domestic products at the show that American Automotive Companies have come a long way, even surpassing many of their foreign counterparts in quality, mileage, price, and styling.
Durhl Caussey is an auto writer whose column is read around the world. He may be reached at this paper or dcaussey@sbcglobal.net .
