2013 Fusion Targets Fuel-Efficiency Triple Crown
Wrapped in a sleek, flowing new exterior that draws on Ford’s award-winning global design language, the completely redesigned 2013 Ford Fusion is going to break fresh ground by being the first midsize sedan available with three different powertrains—gas, hybrid and plug-in hybrid—and it plans on achieving best-in-class fuel efficiency with all of them.
The Fusion actually will offer five different engines, including three that run strictly on gasoline: A standard, naturally aspirated I4 and two advanced EcoBoost four-cylinder motivators. Among that second pair will be a peppy 1.6-liter EcoBoost engine that is expected to achieve the segment’s top EPA ratings for a non-hybrid four-cylinder engine, ringing up marks of 26 mpg city/37 mpg highway; the second EcoBoost powerplant will be the hi-po choice for the Fusion, and while Ford didn’t discuss output, it’s worth noting that a similarly sized EcoBoost engine will be rated at 247 hp/250 lb.-ft. of torque in the upcoming Ford Focus ST.
For drivers who prefer a greener choice, the next-gen Fusion Hybrid receives an all-new 2.0-liter Atkinson-cycle I4 engine and a lighter, more powerful battery pack now relying on lithium-ion technology. And again, Ford is planning to best all in-segment rivals with the Fusion Hybrid, which the company expects will return EPA ratings of 47 mpg city/44 mpg highway—those numbers would out-efficiency the Toyota Camry Hybrid by 4 mpg/5 mpg while trumping the Hyundai Sonata by 12 mpg/4 mpg.
Finally, gearing up to take its place at the top of the leaderboard as the most fuel-efficient mid-size car anywhere in the world, the Fusion Energi will debut with an innovative plug-in hybrid system that should break the 100 MPGe barrier—a benchmark the Chevy Volt misses by 8 MPGe and the Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid trails by 13 MPGe.
“Our vision for Fusion was clear—deliver the very best of what One Ford stands for,” said Derrick Kuzak, group vice president of Global Product Development. “We brought our global teams together around a blank slate with the charge to develop a midsize car with groundbreaking design and jaw-dropping fuel economy—one that featured technologies to help make our customers safer and better drivers. This car is the result.”