Some of the commenters took me to task for what seemed to be undue praise for the 2013 Ford Fusion. So, without prejudice, here is the 2013 Ford Fusion and Ford Fusion Energi.
The 2013 Fusion will be based on the same platform that underpins the Ford Mondeo. Three powertrains will be offered; a 2.5L four-cylinder utilized on other Ford products, making 170 horsepower and 170 lb-ft of torque mated to a 6-speed automatic, and two Ecoboost options. A 1.6L Ecoboost will make 179 horsepower and 172 lb-ft and will be the sole configuration available with a 6-speed manual transmission. Fuel economy for the 1.6L is said to be 26/37 mpg city/highway. A 2.0L Ecoboost will put out 237 horsepower and 250 lb-ft of torque, but will have an all-wheel drive option. A 6-speed automatic is the sole transmission.
The Fusion Hybrid returns with 47/44 mpg city/highway figures being reported. The Atkinson cycle engine is downsized from 2.5L to 2.0L, making 185 horsepower and 130 lb-ft of torque but transmission details weren’t available at this time. A lane departure warning system, SYNC, active park assist, blind spot monitoring system and MyFord Touch will be available.
A plug-in Fusion, dubbed the Fusion Energi, will be available. Ford didn’t disclose battery pack size, charge times or official range figures (although it is estimated to be 500 miles) but the car is said to get 100MPGe.
