Ford's fightin' chance
Ford chose the Molson Indy at Le Circuit Gilles Villeneuve as a setting for a sneak peak at the Fusion. The cars available for the members of the Press were all pre-production although as you read these lines, new Fusions have been rolling off the assembly line for a couple of weeks.
The Ford 427 Concept, presented at the Detroit Auto show in 2003, was a great hit with members of the media and the public alike. If one thing was clear, Ford needed to follow through with this design exercise and create a product to draw more people into Bleu Oval laden showrooms.
For the all-new Fusion, Ford plunged into its vast assortment of platforms and pulled out the excellent chassis of the Mazda 6. To basically correct the only short coming to the Mazda 6's architecture, tight rear quarters, Ford lengthened the wheelbase by 55 mm and increased the width by 30 mm. They even managed to increase torsional rigidity by nearly 13%. The result is an increase rear leg and foot room to accommodate most average sized adults. As well, the Fusion also endows its passengers with ample shoulder and elbowroom. The exterior sheet metal was entirely digitally designed, a Ford first. By proceeding th
is way, Ford was able to cut 6 months off the usual 18-month delay for the official launch.
The finished product is a very attractive, probably the most appealing shape since the 1986 Taurus (excluding the Mustang and GT of course). The beltline of the Fusion rises slightly from the front to the rear without hampering visibility through the side glass, a trend that is growing at a very rapid rate. The front fascia, with its chrome horizontal 3-slat grille, is very reminiscent of the 427. From every angle, the Fusion proposes clean fluid lines that make the car actually look smaller than its exterior dimensions suggest.
The cabin is roomy and comfortable. The seats provide sufficient support for everyday cruising. The gauges, compared to those found in the Freestyle, Five Hundred and Taurus, are ornate, clear and good-looking. The audio and climate controls are identical to those found in other Ford vehicles and therefore easy to use.
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s far as safety equipment is concerned, the Fusion has standard dual front air bags, optional side and side curtain air bags, ABS brakes with electronic brake force distribution and seatbelt pre-tensionners. According to Ford's simulated crash tests, the Fusion should perform to a full Five Star crash rating.
The Mazda 6 is well known for its driving dynamics and Ford wanted to capture that sporty essence without sacrificing a comfortable ride which is more inline with what typical Ford buyers expect from their cars. Along with the chassis, the FoMoCo dove a little deeper and transplanted the 2.3L I-4 already used in the Focus ST and the 3.0L Duratec V6 found in the Mazda 6. Ford's power estimates for these engines, to their surprise and pleasure, were actually conservative. The revised SAE norms, by which outputs must now be measured, determined that both engines developed more power than the initial estimates predicted.
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The Ford 427 Concept, presented at the Detroit Auto show in 2003, was a great hit with members of the media and the public alike. If one thing was clear, Ford needed to follow through with this design exercise and create a product to draw more people into Bleu Oval laden showrooms.
For the all-new Fusion, Ford plunged into its vast assortment of platforms and pulled out the excellent chassis of the Mazda 6. To basically correct the only short coming to the Mazda 6's architecture, tight rear quarters, Ford lengthened the wheelbase by 55 mm and increased the width by 30 mm. They even managed to increase torsional rigidity by nearly 13%. The result is an increase rear leg and foot room to accommodate most average sized adults. As well, the Fusion also endows its passengers with ample shoulder and elbowroom. The exterior sheet metal was entirely digitally designed, a Ford first. By proceeding th
is way, Ford was able to cut 6 months off the usual 18-month delay for the official launch. The finished product is a very attractive, probably the most appealing shape since the 1986 Taurus (excluding the Mustang and GT of course). The beltline of the Fusion rises slightly from the front to the rear without hampering visibility through the side glass, a trend that is growing at a very rapid rate. The front fascia, with its chrome horizontal 3-slat grille, is very reminiscent of the 427. From every angle, the Fusion proposes clean fluid lines that make the car actually look smaller than its exterior dimensions suggest.
The cabin is roomy and comfortable. The seats provide sufficient support for everyday cruising. The gauges, compared to those found in the Freestyle, Five Hundred and Taurus, are ornate, clear and good-looking. The audio and climate controls are identical to those found in other Ford vehicles and therefore easy to use.
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The Mazda 6 is well known for its driving dynamics and Ford wanted to capture that sporty essence without sacrificing a comfortable ride which is more inline with what typical Ford buyers expect from their cars. Along with the chassis, the FoMoCo dove a little deeper and transplanted the 2.3L I-4 already used in the Focus ST and the 3.0L Duratec V6 found in the Mazda 6. Ford's power estimates for these engines, to their surprise and pleasure, were actually conservative. The revised SAE norms, by which outputs must now be measured, determined that both engines developed more power than the initial estimates predicted.