The all-new Fusion adopts many of the design cues from the Evos concept that Ford unveiled last year at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Its exterior has a more European look, and everyone loves drawing connections between an Aston Martin and the new Fusion’s face, which is not a bad thing.
The interior of the 2013 Fusion Hybrid is now more upscale than before and gets all the latest technology like the SYNC with MyFord Touch system, rear view camera, dual LCD smart Gauge Cluster, Bluetooth and a navigation screen. The Fusion Hybrid is more than just a sedan with green hybrid drivetrain. Ford has also decided to construct many parts of the Fusion Hybrid’s interior out of recycled parts. The Fusion’s cloth seat surfaces are made with 100-percent REPREVE yarn, which is a hybrid of materials once utilized for industry purposes and materials used by everyday consumers. Cloth-seat Fusion models also contain the equivalent of 38.9 recycled, clear 16-ounce plastic bottles.
Under the hood, the Fusion Hybrid is powered by a new 2.0L four-cylinder engine and an electric motor, which gives it a total 185 horsepower. Ford has also added a new lithium-ion battery, which gives the Fusion Hybrid the ability to travel up to 62 mph in full electric mode. The EPA recently gave the Fusion Hybrid a 47 mpg city and 47 mpg highway rating, which beats out the Toyota Camry Hybrid, one of the Fusion Hybrid’s biggest competitors.
One interesting tidbit is that Ford used new technology like Active Noise Cancellation to help it achieve the Fusion Hybrid’s best-in-class fuel economy rating. According to Ford, engineers added Active Noise Cancellation to the interior to keep many of the engine’s noise out of the cabin.
“At the lower speeds that help efficiency, engines produce booming, low-frequency sounds that can be unpleasant to the driver and passengers. Without Active Noise Cancellation, engineers have to keep the engine out of this operating range, sacrificing efficiency.”
So how does the new Fusion Hybrid drive? The 2013 Fusion Hybrid drives just as well as its gas-powered counterparts. Its engine is very smooth and the transition from electric to gas and electric power is barely noticeable. Compared to other hybrids we’ve driven, the Fusion Hybrid drives more like a regular car. The only time you really notice that you are driving something different is when you realize that you are driving at speeds up to 62 mph with only the electric motor moving the Fusion down the road.
The 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid arrives this fall starting at $27,200. Early next year Ford is going to release another Fusion Hybrid, the Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid, which is estimated to have an EPA rating over 100 MPGe.
+ Ford
