2006 Fusion: Ford's Midsize Bet?! Hit Or Miss?

[cyberdoc95]

[SIZE=3]2006 Ford Fusion[/SIZE]
SOURCE: CLICK HERE!!


Ford’s new mid-size car, the 2006 Fusion, was inspired by the muscular Ford 427 concept sedan, seen at recent auto shows. Fusion is also the company’s first car completely designed, engineered and tested for manufacture in a digital environment. The athletic three-box design has a 107.4-inch wheelbase, a long, downward sweeping hood, a high, short rear deck and shear tail and is topped by a horizontal greenhouse. Standard wheels are 16-inch, with 17-inch split-five-spoke aluminum rims available.


Fusion takes a central position between the Focus and the flagship Five Hundred models. Engine choices include Ford's 2.3-liter Duratec 23 I-4 and 3.0-liter Duratec 30 V-6, both featuring all-aluminum construction. The four cylinder delivers 160 horsepower, is rated as a Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle (PZEV) in California and can be paired with a 5-speed manual or automatic transaxle. For even more power, there's the 210-horsepower 3.0-liter V-6, connected to an advanced 6-speed automatic transaxle. Ford plans on launching an optional all-wheel drive system on Fusion by next year’s auto show. Later, a hybrid power train will be added - making Fusion the fourth full hybrid in the Ford Motor Company stable. It follows the Ford Escape Hybrid, Mercury Mariner Hybrid and Mazda Tribute Hybrid.

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[mazdamazda]

wow!!!

I really like the tail light treatment... looks so futuristic!

the front is a bit mixed... from some angles it looks nice... from some it looks "incomplete".

[cyberdoc95]

[SIZE=3]2005 North American International Auto Show:
2006 Ford Fusion[/SIZE]
SOURCE:CLICK HERE!!

If the 2006 Ford Fusion doesn't sell, then it's clear that Americans are no longer interested in American cars. Of course, Ford could botch the launch with a series of recalls, and consumers haven't got much incentive to consider a car that lacks both an established track record for durability and value retention like the Honda Accord, or a long warranty with free scheduled maintenance such as the Mitsubishi Galant. But based upon our first look, touch, and sniff of the new Fusion, this is the most compelling midsize sedan out of Detroit in a long time.


Ford's Fusion is the first car out of the chute to ride on the company's new midsize "CD" platform. Based on a modified Mazda 6 foundation and powertrains, the Fusion's underpinnings will also provide the basis for a slew of new FoMoCo products such as the 2006 Mercury Milan, 2006 Lincoln Zephyr, and 2007 Lincoln Aviator. Given that the Mazda 6 is one of the most entertaining sedans on the market, the Fusion should prove fun to drive.

Fun to look at is another strong Ford Fusion characteristic. Taking its cues from the Ford 427 concept vehicle of 2003, the 2006 Fusion embodies Ford's new corporate look; the most obvious element is the three-bar grille that will be added to all blue-oval-badged sedans within a couple of years. Headlights wrap up into the hood, tapering to a sharp angle similar to the Mercury Mountaineer. Tidy flanks, an elegantly arched roofline, handsome 17-inch alloy wheels, chrome accents, and upscale triangular taillights give the Fusion a clean, cohesive look.

Inside, symmetry rules. Stylistically, the theme follows the larger Ford Five Hundred sedan, with organized controls, flush surfaces, close panel fits, and simple design. The Fusion possesses a clean, refreshing interior loaded with soft-touch surfaces and materials that, for the most part, exude quality. Ford offers distinctive "themed" cabin treatments, including one inspired by the Ford 427 show car that blends charcoal-black leather upholstery with oatmeal-colored stitching and piano black interior trim.


Ford will offer four- and six-cylinder versions of the Fusion when it goes on sale, with a new hybrid model planned for 2008. The aluminum, four-cylinder engine displaces 2.3 liters and makes 160 horsepower at 6,250 rpm and 150 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,000 rpm while meeting partial zero-emission vehicle standards in California. The aluminum, 3.0-liter V6 generates 210 horsepower. A six-speed automatic is standard with the V6, while the four-cylinder Fusion gets either a five-speed manual or five-speed automatic to send power to the front wheels. In 2007, all-wheel-drive will become optional. Four-wheel-disc brakes and independent suspension at each corner are standard on the Fusion, but ABS is an option.

Unquestionably, the 2006 Ford Fusion is a compelling midsize sedan. But without a reputation for reliability, without a longer warranty, without free scheduled maintenance, we think it's going to be hard for Ford to sell this car against Accords, Altimas, and Camrys without incentives.

Better warranty coverage, a price that undercuts segment leaders, and a flawless launch would help guarantee that the 2006 Ford Fusion is a success. It's extremely stylish, is probably quite fun to drive, and should be a great place to spend time behind the wheel.

By Christian J. Wardlaw

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[quiksie]

ganda ng harapan parang nissan z roadster tapos parang pizza na naka altezza na mitsu sa likod

[pissword]

lalabas naman kaya yan dito

[sikuya]

the Fusion is the most compelling mass-produced car from Ford lately. we'll see if it sells, and if it does it should aim very loftly: the Accord and Camry sells more than 400,000 units year after year. used to the stoic Taurus was at that level, albeit maybe half of it to rental/fleet sales.

[pissword]

parang yung sa civic 2.0 yung mags nya ah

[OTEP]

Isn't this a Ford 500 wearing different clothes?

[mbt]

hindi ata bagay yung head- and taillights, i doubt this would present a credible challenge to the camry, especially judging from the other ford introductions

[cyberdoc95]

[SIZE=3]Fusion to lead Ford back into midsize-sedan market[/SIZE]
Sunday, January 09, 2005
Christopher Jensen of CLEVELAND.COM(CLICK HERE!!)
Plain Dealer Auto Editor

Dearborn, Mich.- Ford's plan to recapture a larger share of the car market picks up speed later this year with the 2006 Ford Fusion, an all-new midsize sedan that will be powered by a Duratec 30 V-6 built at Engine Plant No. 2 in Brook Park.

The Fusion will be aimed at vehicles such as the Nissan Altima, Toyota Camry and the Honda Accord, which is built in Ohio.


"We haven't been in this business in any credible way for quite some time," said Steve Lyons, president of the Ford division.

As the Taurus has aged, Ford's share of the marketplace - other than fleet sales to rental companies - has dwindled, Lyons said. "Now we are going to come back and attack it very strongly," he said.

Ford said it expects to sell about 150,000 Fusions a year, with about 60 percent using the Duratec 30 engine. The alternative engine is a 2.3-liter four-cylinder based on a Mazda design and built in Dearborn, Mich.

The Duratec 30 also will be available in the Fusion's upscale sibling, the Lincoln Zephyr, also expected as a 2006 model.

That is good news because Engine Plant No. 2 will lose some volume as Ford phases out the Taurus and Mercury Sable over the next few years.


The Fusion and Zephyr should help secure the 1,100 hourly jobs at Engine Plant No. 2, said Willie Hubbard, president of United Auto Workers Local 1250, which represents the manufacturing complex in Brook Park.

Both Fusion and Zephyr are key products in Ford's efforts to improve its share of the car market, said Jeff Schuster, director of North American forecasting for J.D. Power and Associates, the market research firm.

Power is predicting Ford will sell about 125,000 Fusions a year and 35,000 to 45,000 Zephyrs.

When the Fusion arrives next fall, it will be available in front-wheel drive, but an all-wheel drive will follow about a year later, a Ford official said.

The Fusion has an overall length of 190 inches, almost identical to the Accord.

In styling the Fusion, Ford was going for a look that "makes a strong statement but stands the test of time. It needs to stand out from the crowd but not be too brash," said Peter Horbury, executive director for Ford design in North America.

The Fusion also offers a design that Americans will see more often.

"With the Ford Fusion we deliver the new face of Ford cars," said Horbury. "You will be able to see it coming half a mile down the freeway, the chrome three-bar grille reinforced below with two bars."

A quick look at preproduction prototypes showed a handsome, upscale interior with the use of more expensive materials than those found on many earlier Fords.

Major safety equipment includes optional side-impact air curtains, which cover the side windows. Such head protection can reduce deaths in side-impact crashes by 45 percent, according to a study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Ford says the rear seats have 37 inches of legroom, slightly more than the Accord and about the same as the Camry.

The trunk is rated at almost 16 cubic feet, about 2 cubic feet more than the Accord and about the same as the Camry.

Although they have been reworked and specially tuned for the Fusion, many of the mechanical underpinnings come from the Mazda6 sedan, since Mazda is controlled by Ford. That means an independent front and rear suspension, with the rear suspension similar to what is used in the Focus, said Kerry Baldori, vehicle engineering manager.

Fusion has rack-and-pinion steering, four-wheel disc brakes and 16-inch wheels for the four-cylinder model and 17-inch wheels for the V-6.

The Duratec 30 going into the Fusion and Zephyr will be a slightly more sophisticated engine than what went into the Taurus and Sable. It will have intake variable cam timing that will make it more powerful and responsive, said powertrain engineer Bill Ickes.

In the Fusion the Duratec 30 is rated at 210 horsepower at 6,250 revolutions per minute, compared with 201 horsepower in the Duratec 30 used in the Taurus and Sable.

With the V-6, the Fusion is available only with a six-speed automatic. Those who prefer the 160-horsepower 2.3-liter four-cylinder have the choice of either a five-speed manual or five-speed automatic.

[ILuvDetailing]

Take off the Ford badge, it looks like a Crystler up front...

[niky]

It's based on the Mazda6/Tribute/Escape platform, I think.

Same engine range, and it's smaller than the 500 (which, by the way, is HUGE.).

I don't think it's coming here for a while, but if it is, it will definitely be 3.0 only, to avoid trampling on the Mazda6 2.0 (and hopefully 2.3) sales.

[sikuya]

It's based on the Mazda6/Tribute/Escape platform, I think.

Same engine range, and it's smaller than the 500 (which, by the way, is HUGE.)

you're right, the fusion is based on the Mazda6 platform.

rebadged Ford Fusions:

2006 Mercury Milan



2006 Lincoln Zephyr