2006 Ford Fusion Preview

"In the past, the tan interior was the same as the gray interior, only it was tan," commented Barb Whalen, color and materials

The Fusion delivers up that European flare, a style and substance combination that so many domestics often get horribly wrong. (Photo: Ford Motor Company of Canada)

manager for mid- and large-size cars. "These days, there is a lot more choice. Some people want woodgrain trim, some don't. Everyone wants his or her own personality and own car. With Fusion, we can provide that."

Therefore, the new car's "interior environments" will include medium light stone, a two-tone combination of camel and charcoal-black, as well as a charcoal-black monotone. On the show floor the black interiors were dressed up to look sportiest, with those dressed in lighter earth tones featuring the luxury of fairly convincing woodgrain appointments, giving the sedan a more luxurious ambiance. Either way the Fusion delivered up that

The one very un-European element of the Fusion's interior is the inclusion of an in-dash multi-disc CD player. (Photo: Ford Motor Company of Canada)

European flare, a style and substance combination that so many domestics often get horribly wrong, despite continued attempts to do so.

Something very un-European, or should I say un-German, is the inclusion of a in-dash multi-disc CD player, capable of selecting from up to six discs at a time. While not unusual for entry-level domestic or Asian brands to include such a convenient CD system, luxury marque BMW won't even be offering such an item on its upcoming 2006 3-Series. Go figure? The BMW at least plays MP3 discs, a feature Ford's Fusion will also deliver.