I also like the car's interior design. It's got personality, rather than
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| Black piano lacquer trim and analog clock create an interesting twist of sport and class. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
the bland sameness displayed in many cars in this class. I should mention here, though, that the base Fusion isn't anywhere near as fancy as my full-load tester. Where my loaner featured gorgeous piano black lacquer over the centre stack, dash and door trim, unheard of in this class, somehow coming across as sporty and classy at the same time, plus a jewel-like analog clock adding an upscale touch usually exclusive to luxury sedans, the base car is matte black plastic surfaces of decent quality, but not particularly stimulating to the eyes. Likewise the seats in my top-line test car also seemed more premium than any rivals in the entry-level midsize class, except maybe for a full-load Volkswagen Passat with the Sport Leather package, but at about $18,000 more than the specially-equipped Fusion, that features black leather and contrasting light gray stitching, the top-line VW is competing with premium models from Audi, BMW and Lexus.
The Fusion's gauges are large and sporty, steering wheel
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| Much like the knobs and switches inside, the Fusion feels tight and secure on the road. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
feels ergonomically correct, and wrapped in soft leather feels just right, plus its various switches, knobs and buttons are above par in tactile quality. The automatic climate control system is a nice upgrade over the highly functional although rather low-rent three-dial setup in the base Fusion, with only its square-shaped audio system interface looking a bit "aftermarket" next to rivals that do a better job of integrating theirs' into the centre stack design, but tuners will argue the Ford system is easier to remove and therefore replace with something "phatter" - maybe with a DVD-video screen? For me, the audio system sounds great, especially if upgraded with Ford's 8-speaker Audiophile Premium AM/FM stereo radio with an in-dash 6 CD changer - not bad at all.
Ford's Duratec 30 V6 is a proven powerplant, displacing 3.0 litres and,
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| 6-speed auto gearbox is pleasing, but it lacks any sort of manual-shift apparatus. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
in Fusion trim, pushing out 221 horsepower at 6,250 rpm and 205 lb-ft of torque at 4,800 rpm, which might be a bit lower than its main competitors but better on fuel, and still sporting enough thanks to a rather low curb weight of 1,520 kilos (3,351 lbs) in V6 guise, standard traction control in SEL V6 trim, plus its efficient Aisin-sourced six-speed automatic transmission. This is a smooth Japanese-made autobox, but DIY drivers might be miffed that no manual-mode exists. Ford has also chosen not to offer a full manual transmission, like its Mazda6 relative, so while it's sporty looking it isn't a pure driver's car.
This is true when it comes to suspension calibration too. I really like
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| A close up of that analog clock. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
the setup Ford has chosen though, as the fully independent undercarriage, featuring a short and long arm (SLA) front setup with rearward facing lower control arms and a 24 mm stabilizer bar, plus a fully independent multi-link setup with coil-over shock absorbers and lower control arms with a 16 mm stabilizer bar in the rear, does a fabulous job of soaking up city ruts and absorbing backcountry frost heaves, not to mention annoying parking lot speed bumps. Speaking of parking lots my tester's steering rack was set to 2.5 turns lock-to-lock for relatively easy maneuverability, also resulting in a livable 12.2-meter (40.0-foot) turning circle.
