2010 Ford Fusio
Soon after catching its Mercury sibling out in the wild, the first photo of the 2010 Ford Fusion made its way to the internet, along with details on the revised powertrain offerings.
A Bold Front
Though much of the sheetmetal between the A- and C-pillars carries over unchanged, the fore and aft ends of the 2010 Fusion do receive considerable cosmetic changes. The three-bar grille grows larger and plays into a large power bulge on the hood, similar to the Interceptor concept shown at the 2008 Detroit auto show.
Ford only showed a camouflaged example during our preview, but from what we could tell, change in back is rather limited. We're expecting slightly larger taillights (with an interesting honeycomb pattern) and large, chrome exhaust tips - even on the hybrid model.
Yeah, that thing's got a hybrid.
Yes, Virginia, there is a Fusion Hybrid. For 2010, Ford's fitted the hybrid powertrain from the Escape Hybrid cute-ute to both the Fusion and the Mercury Milan - though it's also added a few new features for the sedan.
For starters, there's the issue of the battery pack. Yes, it's still a nickel metal hydride pack supplied by Sanyo, but chemistry changes allow it to carry 20 percent more power than the Escape's pack. That's a significant feat, considering it's 23 percent lighter and considerably smaller, allowing it to tuck in behind the Fusion's rear seats.
But the biggest change lies with the transmission itself. Yes, it's mated to the same 2.5-liter Atkinson-cycle I-4 found in the Escape/Mariner hybrids, but the hybrid electric CVT (e-CVT) has been substantially recalibrated. With a gentle right foot, drivers will be capable of accelerating up to 47 mph in pure electric mode. An impressive figure, but Ford promises equally exciting numbers when it comes to fuel economy. The Fusion Hybrid should best the Toyota Camry Hybrid - which already attains 33 mpg in the city - by at least 5 mpg.
1 comment:
Post a Comment