Ford introduced Ford Fusion has an advanced Duratec Engine. The 16 Valve, 1.6 L, light weight alloy block engine generates a maximum power of 101 ps. The engine has been developed and calibrated specifically for Ford Fusion to provide a balanced combination of drivability and low emissions. Ford Fusion has a 1596cc petrol engine, with dimensions of 4018(L) X 1720(W) X 1529(H) mm has a ground clearance and a wheelbase of 198mm and 2486mm respectively, a turning radius of 4.9 meters.

Fusion has the looks of a mini-SUV from the front. The bonnet line is high more akin to an SUV than a car, with a prominent grille and the twin-compartment lozenge-shaped headlamps which stand out and give the car a rugged look. Fusion’s body structure has been designed to minimize foot well intrusion in a frontal crash and a decoupling brake pedal assembly has been designed to minimize the potential for injuries to the lower extremities. With an aluminium block and head, it is one of the smallest, lightest and the latest of the engine designs from the Ford family. The Fusion Seating capacity is of five adults comfortably, the 60:40 split rear seats enable you to carry both passengers and luggage simultaneously. The shoulder and leg room ensures a comfortable and relaxed journey.

From the side, Fusion’s Day Light Opening (DLO) window arrangement has a one-piece appearance, which gives the Fusion a feeling of space and added to the sporty and dynamic roofline give the Fusion entirely new look.

The large, vertical stalk goes down so low that there is no place on the bumper to accommodate the rear number plate which has been housed on the tailgate. A stand-alone, enlarged Ford oval below the ridge and under the tail lamp line adds welcome relief to the wide and plain expanse of the tailgate above the niche for the number plate. A very thoughtful design element is that the tail lamps are mounted vertically, high on the C-pillars so as to stand out in the traffic and increase safety as well as to ensure that they do not get damaged in the bump and grind of normal city traffic or while parking in cramped spaces.

The front has a rigid sub frame, which supports the lower A-arms of the suspension as well as the steering rack. This lays the foundation for Fusion’s handling, and also helps to isolate road harshness from the body. The car’s MacPherson strut front suspension incorporates Ford’s newly developed techniques for better road performance and handling speed-breakers. These techniques include dual-path top mounts that enhance steering precision as the large-diameter springs are offset to be in line with load inputs. Ford Fusion comes with hydraulically operated and power assisted steering system. The steering assist characteristics have been optimised to provide comfort leading in its class, in parking and driving, together with smooth and progressive feedback at cornering. The optimised steering gear combined with its very low turning circle of 9.8 meters is ideal for making it a very handy vehicle around the city. Its leather-wrapped steering wheel takes only 3.3 turns from lock to lock.

The car takes you 100kmph in 12.74s and to 150krnph in 33.39s. Quarter mile comes up in 18.20s while it gets to the one kilometer mark in 33.88s. Top speed though is a respectable 174kmph which it gets to in fourth gear. The car is definitely much quicker than its sibling though. On-road performance is good and given its top end grunt, it is as easy to drive on the highway. But one has to keep shifting to keep it in the power band. If the revs fall below the 2000rpm mark, especially in the higher gears then you are in trouble. Some slick shifting allows you to derive the best from this otherwise good performer.

The air conditioning system has the same mechanicals that are used in the Ikon - so cooling is excellent but what is most annoying is that one has to press the re-circulation button each time either the system or the car is switched on. It may be a good thing for it to be in the fresh air mode most of the time but in the polluted Indian cities it works the other way round. There will be just a few occasions every week when one can use the fresh air mode without gagging or taking in fumes. One remembers that the button has to be pressed only when one wonders where the smoke is coming from. So it will be a good idea for the engineers at Ford to put the recirculating mode as default.

Ford Fusion comes with a factory fitted air conditioner, heater, music system and has additional features like power steering, power windows (front and rear), adjustable steering wheel, tachometer, light on or off reminder, front fog lamps, rear windshield wiper, washer and defogger, leather steering wheel, alloy wheels, trip meter, low fuel warning indicator, wheel caps, molded floor and trunk carpets and is available in 4 colours. It has security features like central door locking system, high mounted stop lamp, child proof rear door locks, engine immobilizer, keyless entry with auto re-locking, side impact beams and front and rear seatbelts.

Filed under: Ford Cars in India