The Fusion sees its largest gains in rear seat accommodation, stretching its Mazda6 donor platform by two inches to allow for larger North American
feet. This increase also allows for more trunk room, and totally flexible stowage when the rear seatbacks are folded flat.
Despite the longer chassis, Ford still managed to stiffen the car's overall structure, which goes a long way to improving its ride, or so reports have stated. Its short/long arm front suspension and multilink rear setup should make light work of twisting curves, while power assisted rack and pinion steering, set up slightly heavier than its two fiercest competitors so as to add a sport-oriented bias, should make for lively performance. Four-wheel disc brakes are standard while ABS is optional, and reportedly slow the car down quickly with no unsettling results.
Getting back to that interior and its high quality materials, it will impress even
the most ardent import fans. The seats are well constructed and comfortable without feeling squishy, more European in feel than traditional domestic, and the switchgear is intuitively placed throughout the cockpit.
In the end it's ironic that the Fusion replaces the Taurus, a car that was almost solely responsible for jettisoning the Ford brand back as a credible player in the car business when it debuted in 1985 as a 1986 model. The Taurus, after a number of revamps is nevertheless long in the mouth now, and relegated to fleet duty. Actually, while the Fusion replaces the Taurus on the retail front, the Taurus will continue on for fleet and rental car agency buyers, its value proposition just too good for Ford or its many high-volume buyers to pass up.
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| The Fusion sees its largest gains in rear seat accommodation, whileadditional trunk room allows for totally flexible stowage when the rearseatbacks are folded flat. (Ford Motor Company of Canada) |
Despite the longer chassis, Ford still managed to stiffen the car's overall structure, which goes a long way to improving its ride, or so reports have stated. Its short/long arm front suspension and multilink rear setup should make light work of twisting curves, while power assisted rack and pinion steering, set up slightly heavier than its two fiercest competitors so as to add a sport-oriented bias, should make for lively performance. Four-wheel disc brakes are standard while ABS is optional, and reportedly slow the car down quickly with no unsettling results.
Getting back to that interior and its high quality materials, it will impress even
 |
| It's ironic that the Fusion replaces the Taurus, in the retail segment at least, a car that was almost solely responsible for jettisoning the Ford brand back into the car business when it debuted in 1985 as a 1986 model. (Ford Motor Company of Canada) |
In the end it's ironic that the Fusion replaces the Taurus, a car that was almost solely responsible for jettisoning the Ford brand back as a credible player in the car business when it debuted in 1985 as a 1986 model. The Taurus, after a number of revamps is nevertheless long in the mouth now, and relegated to fleet duty. Actually, while the Fusion replaces the Taurus on the retail front, the Taurus will continue on for fleet and rental car agency buyers, its value proposition just too good for Ford or its many high-volume buyers to pass up.