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Posted on: Jun 22 2007

Ford Fusion +

This is Ford’s idea of the perfect family car. Almost an SUV, almost an MPV and almost a hatch, the Fusion is a mixed bag of a lot of automotive solutions, some of which we haven’t even listed here. The Fusion, on sale this month, will sit a notch above Ford’s saloon, the Ikon.

The company is hoping that this amalgam of style, shape, space and performance will be more than enough to make Indian customers part with their hard-earned bucks. The Fusion is difficult to categorise and doesn’t fit squarely into any segment.

On one hand, it will compete with the Getz, a large hatchback and on the other it will also take on the Honda City, a three-box sedan. With the Fusion, Ford has attempted to combine everything Indian car owners look for: a car that is agile to drive on congested roads, has loads of space, is fuel efficient and comes at a good price. Does Ford’s radical new package hit the sweet spot?

Design & Engineering
Walk up to the Fusion and you’re immediately struck by its size, or rather the lack of it. Smaller in the flesh than its SUV looks suggest, the Fusion is a member of Ford’s ‘New Edge’ school of design. Built on the new Fiesta platform (code: B226), the Fusion’s wheelbase is as large as the Ikon’s. It’s not as long but it’s much wider as well as taller. Making use of vertical space, additional width and its considerable cabin-to-length ratio, the Fusion dedicates a large amount of its overall length to the passengers. The brave styling which is a mixture of so many elements won’t manage to please everyone and is sure to evoke strong reactions.

The overall shape is quite distinctive though and an intrinsic part of the Fusion’s personality. The snub nose is the Fusion’s most attractive part. It’s distinctly Ford with design cues and surfaces plucked from the Mondeo. The high cowl drops sharply down to a slot-like rectangular grille. The peeled-back dual-layered headlamps look superb and give the Fusion its distinct identity. The bumper and chin are deeply sculpted and the smart alloys and chiseled wheel arches are again very Mondeo-ish.

The Fusion sits high on tall 15-inch wheels, with a considerable amount of daylight between the wheel arches and tyres. The tall vertical tail-lights which don’t run all the way down to the bumper are the only distinctive feature in what is otherwise a bland-looking rear. A practical touch is that the tailgate drops down to bumper level which helps while loading and unloading. The U-shaped bumper with a ‘skid plate’ underneath looks quite SUV-ish.

The build of the car is typically European — it feels stiff and tough enough to take the hammering delved out by our roads. However, our test car came with an annoying rattle at the back and the rear doors felt loose, as if the car had been taken apart and put back several times. We hope we can put this down to pre-production glitches that will be sorted out before the car goes on sale.

The Fusion is built with ‘tailored blanks’ or steel panels which are thick only where they need to be. This gives strength without adding weight. However, tipping the scales at 1140kg, the Fusion isn’t exactly light for a car of this size but a lot of the weight comes from beefed- up components like the heavy duty suspension and high strength sections. The front suspension has MacPherson struts with tall offset springs for reduced friction. It features an extremely rigid sub-frame for support, and to isolate road harshness. The non-independent rear suspension uses estate-car-like springs under the floor as well as wide spaced dampers. This reduces intrusions into the loading or luggage bay.

The twin tube rear dampers use sophisticated valving which Ford has spent plenty of time tuning to achieve the optimal ride quality for Indian roads. The Fusion comes with ABS as optional but airbags aren’t even an option.
  
Interiors
The Fusion’s interiors are a mixed bag. Flat surfaces, a few well chosen bold creases and mildly retro detailing like the circular air vents give the interiors a no-nonsense, functional look.

However, the interior quality leaves much to be desired and it appears that Ford’s accountants had the upper hand here. The mouse-grey seat fabrics look drab and the plastics, with their shiny, hard texture, feel cheap and tacky. The silver finish on the centre console looks like it’s been painted on in a hurry and the central storage box on top of the dash, though useful, opens and closes with a nasty ‘clack.’

The switchgear too doesn’t have a solid feel and the window winder buttons have been borrowed from the Ikon. Ford hasn’t changed the orientation of the column stalks for right-hand drive and the bonnet release latch is also near the left-side footwell.

The gear-lever with its brushed silver insert and bellowed rubber boot at the base is the only redeeming feature and it nicely matches the silver inserts in the small Mondeo-like steering wheel. The audio system, which comes with a single CD-player, sounds good and is easy to use.

The front seats are set nice and high and you get a great view of the road, and the nicely tucked-away A-pillar does not obstruct vision. The seat is adjustable for height and so is the steering wheel, thus it’s easy to find a comfortable position.

However, on long drives, you discover the seat could do with more support. The seat squab is a bit too short and your backside begins to ache after a couple of hours behind the wheel. Also, we missed the absence of a dead pedal for the left foot. The rear seats are extremely generous by hatchback standards, especially the width, which can take three average-sized adults without too much of a squeeze. The high seating position means you don’t have to sit in a knees-up position and getting in and out is easy.

Headroom is superb too, even for six-footers. Legroom is decent but with the front seats pushed all the way back it does get a bit cramped. The backrest is a little too vertical and overall comfort though good is not on par with the Honda City.

Where the Fusion’s interiors score is in sheer practicality and utility. A lot of thought has gone into making maximum use of every inch of space. The dashboard has several useful storage areas apart from the fair-sized glovebox. You get a recess and storage box on the top and lots of cubbyholes and recesses in the centre console. The removable ashtray doubles as a cup holder. The Fusion’s best party trick is the front and rear seats that tilt forward to offer more storage space and versatility. The tray under the front seat is a nice hiding place and the small ‘kangaroo pouch’ on the front edge of the front seats is again extremely useful. Luggage space is the best among hatchbacks and the 40:20:40 split seats add to the versatility. There’s a useful net to hold loose objects and the sturdy parcel shelf at the rear is well made.

An innovative feature is the removable rear armrest which again has a plethora of storage options. The armrest, which comes with its own smart carry case, clicks into the central recess after lifting out the centre seat squab. The roof-mounted reading lights for the rear passengers is another great touch. There are other clever ideas too like the intermittent wiper setting in which the delay can be programmed and the rear wiper automatically comes on when you select reverse and the front wipers are working.

Ford has wisely modified the air-con system, which now boasts a scroll-type compressor, a larger evaporator as well as a better performing condenser. And we were duly impressed with the performance. The air-con managed to cool the Fusion’s large cabin in no time and compressor noise too was very low.

Powertrain & Performance
Unhinge the bonnet and you’re greeted by a familiar name — ‘Duratec’. The Fusion gets the 1.6-litre sibling of the 2.0-litre motor that hides under the hood of the Mondeo. This 1596cc, twin-cam, four-cylinder motor has four valves per cylinder and, importantly, is as modern as they come.

It’s an all-aluminum engine that comes with a deep-skirted engine block, a separate cast aluminium bearing beam and a structural cast aluminium oil pan. These features make the engine structure extremely rigid — essential for refinement.

This motor uses a ‘drive-by-wire’ throttle for better control over the engine. The Fusion doesn’t have the sheer responsiveness or driveability of its sibling, the Ikon 1.6 whose energetic, enthusiastic ROCAM engine has much more grunt at low revs.

Low engine speed responses are nothing to write home about, especially below 2000rpm, and even after, real midrange punch only builds after the tacho has past 3000rpm.

But keep the Fusion motor on the boil, use the precise, shortthrow but slightly heavy gearbox to good effect and the Fusion delivers impressive performance. It makes good power all the way up to its 6800rpm redline, and this means that you have a fairly wide powerband to play in. Keep the engine spinning in this part of the powerband and the motor is willing to do your bidding. Straight-line acceleration as a result is strong, 60kph comes up in 4.89 seconds and 100 in 11.75 seconds, making it quick enough to dust off competition like the Getz and the Honda City without even breaking into a sweat. It’s a shade quicker than the Ikon too.

The Fusion’s performance is best appreciated on the highway where the rev-happy engine and good top-end punch make light work of overtaking. It cruises well too. Stick it into fifth and the Fusion efficiently wafts you to three-digit speeds which the Getz and City would struggle to match. At 100kph the engine is ticking over at a relaxed 2800rpm in traffic.

The engine is pretty refined and quiet and it’s only at high revs that it gets pretty raucous. Using some under-bonnet insulation would have helped. The IB5 gearbox is cable-operated, so vibrations in the gear lever are pretty isolated. However, you can still hear the gearbox whine, an IB5 trademark, at certain speeds. The brakes of the Fusion are superb and easily the best we’ve tested on a car below the Rs 10-lakh mark. Equipped with ABS, dripping with good feedback and feel, these stoppers allow you to stomp the centre pedal hard even mid-corner.

Some of our testers found the brakes lacked sufficient servo assistance and would have preferred a sharper feel. However, that’s a moot point that most of us didn’t agree with.
  
Fuel Efficiency
For all its bulk, the Fusion is pretty fuel efficient. Stretching a litre for 9.4 kilometres in the city, the Ford may not be as efficient as the Honda City, but then it is several times more entertaining to drive. For those of you who love to travel, the tall gearing in fourth and fifth means you always cruise at a low engine speed. We averaged 14.8kpl on the highway. Impressive.

Verdict
Different strokes for different folks is what Ford will be hoping for. The radical Honda City has been well accepted in India, and Ford hopes the Fusion will appeal to City buyers as well. The Fusion's stylish nose, tall body and Honda CR-V-like tail are sure to be liked by SUV fans, but it may just be too weird for the more conservative.
The Fusion is great fun to drive, has that all-important big-car feel, impressive power, superb brakes and sweet handling. The boot is flexible and it has clever touches all over, it is well-equipped, and fairly efficient.On the flip side, it has a terrible low-speed ride, and with its tacky plastics, it certainly feels built down to a price.

The Fusion isn’t a conventional car, but its strengths should appeal to many Indian customers. However, although it looks attractive to us, it may not to less adventurous souls. One problem may be the lack of a boot, which people start to expect in a big car, especially the chauffeur-driven. It's impossible to make a definitive judgement, since Ford's keeping the price card very close to its chest. We expect it to be priced around Rs 6 lakh for which it's a more-than-competent car, that will constantly surprise you with its talents. If you're willing to open your mind, this could change your life.
Source: indiacar.com