Ford: Fusion News
09-03-2005, 06:46 AM
#82
Race Director
That stereo is exactly the same as the crappy Focus rental I'm driving now. I guess they saved a few bucks reusing that.
There's no mention of milage - that's a pretty important factor these days.
And mid 8s to 60 in a V6 car with a 6AT.
There's no mention of milage - that's a pretty important factor these days.
And mid 8s to 60 in a V6 car with a 6AT.
09-03-2005, 05:55 PM
#84
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Originally Posted by biker
And mid 8s to 60 in a V6 car with a 6AT.
BTW, I like how they have the radio setup, the radio might not be much, but it'll be easy to put a nice double DIN stereo in there. Honda uses those intergraded stereo/AC control units in the Accord, which you have to buy on of these (that are cheap looking) to put a new stereo in it.
09-04-2005, 07:43 PM
#85
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I see what you're saying with the radio, but I do think these new dash designs look a lot better without keeping the square din open like the accord, mazda 3, new civic etc, but I do think if manufacturers are going to go that route, one, if not two sets of rca outputs should be mandatory on the back of the factory unit for future modifications.
09-04-2005, 07:57 PM
#86
Lola
Originally Posted by DownUnder
It's an estimate, I'm sure it'll be around 7.2s to 7.5s range, more or less the same as the Mazda6s Grand Touring's 0-60 time which has the same tranny and engine.
09-04-2005, 09:01 PM
#87
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Originally Posted by MSZ
Mazda 6 has the same 6AT? Did I miss something?
09-05-2005, 12:48 AM
#88
Lola
Originally Posted by DownUnder
The Mazda6s has an 6AT option this year and since the Fusion shares the chassis and engine, the 6AT in the Mazda will most likely be the same they're going to use for the Fusion.
09-08-2005, 08:48 AM
#90
Senior Moderator
2006 Ford Fusion V6
World Beater? Ford says its new Fusion will take on the Accord and Camry
WES RAYNAL
Published Date: 9/5/05
2006 FORD FUSION V6
ON SALE: Now
BASE PRICE: $21,995
POWERTRAIN: 3.0-liter, 221-hp, 200-lb-ft V6; fwd, six-speed automatic
CURB WEIGHT: 3101 lbs
0 TO 60 MPH: 8.0 seconds (est.)
FUEL MILAGE (EPA COMBINED): 24.6 mpg
Behold the new Ford Fusion, the car that is going to knock the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry out of their positions atop the midsize-sedan sales charts. That’s not us doing the talking, it’s what Phil Martens says. At the new car’s launch Martens, Ford’s group vp in charge of engineering, said that with the Fusion, Ford is “going at the Japanese automakers’ throats.
“We want to go after the midsize car market,” he continued. “That means Accord and Camry, and we think we have a winner here.
“This is not to say we’re trying. This car is us saying we’re back, back in the car business.” Martens said he thinks the Accord and Camry are nice cars and all, but Dearborn figures the midsize segment needs some attitude. For Ford, that means Fusion.
Pretty strong words. Does the car back them up? Having spent time driving Ford’s latest back to back with its Japanese rivals, we’d say the Fusion has got a shot, especially against the Camry.
For starters the Fusion looks good. Ford says the three-bar chrome grille and smooth front fascia were inspired by the 2003 Ford 427 concept. That car was built on a stretched Lincoln LS rear-drive platform and had a massive 427-cubic-inch V10 under the hood. Fusion makes do with two available engines, a 2.3-liter 160-hp four-cylinder and the 3.0-liter V6.
We only drove the V6 Fusion, which produces 221 hp and 200 lb-ft of torque. You can get the four-cylinder with either a five-speed manual or a five-speed automatic, while a six-speed automatic comes standard with the V6.
The V6 isn’t a bad engine—it feels about on par with Camry’s 190 hp in terms of power and smoothness, but the Accord’s 3.0-liter V6 feels smoother, revs more freely and sounds better. At 240 hp, the Accord has the edge on power, too.
The Fusion rides on a slightly bigger (two inches longer) Mazda 6 platform, a great starting point. Front suspension is a short/long-arm arrangement with a multilink setup in the rear. The steering is slightly heavier than the competitors’, and the car felt thoroughly at home on some North Carolina twisties, with good control of body motions. The standard four-wheel disc brakes (ABS is optional) do a good job stopping the car, even after a hard day’s work.
The interior is nice-looking if a bit unremarkable. At least it looks well-assembled, and the seats are comfortable. Even on the prototypes we drove, material quality looked competitive with what’s out there (well, except for Volkswagen—it’s still at least one step ahead).
The Fusion replaces the Taurus, on the retail side anyway—Taurus will soldier on for fleets and rental-car agencies. The Fusion will be built at Ford’s Hermosillo, Mexico, plant, which can churn out 300,000 Fusions a year. An all-wheel-drive version will come in 2007, Martens said. Other rumored spinoffs include a hybrid and a tallish six-seat wagon.
Prices start at $17,900 for the base four-cylinder model, $18,995 with the automatic. V6 models start at $21,995. To compare, a base Accord starts at $16,295 while Camry starts at $18,445.
So is Martens right? Will the Fusion topple the Accord and Camry? We’ll see. On our day in the Fusion, words such as competent and credible came to mind. Earth-shattering it ain’t, but the Fusion is a solid midsize contender and Ford hasn’t had one of those in a long while. Not since an earlier Taurus routinely battled Camry and Accord for honors as America’s bestselling car.
World Beater? Ford says its new Fusion will take on the Accord and Camry
WES RAYNAL
Published Date: 9/5/05
2006 FORD FUSION V6
ON SALE: Now
BASE PRICE: $21,995
POWERTRAIN: 3.0-liter, 221-hp, 200-lb-ft V6; fwd, six-speed automatic
CURB WEIGHT: 3101 lbs
0 TO 60 MPH: 8.0 seconds (est.)
FUEL MILAGE (EPA COMBINED): 24.6 mpg
Behold the new Ford Fusion, the car that is going to knock the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry out of their positions atop the midsize-sedan sales charts. That’s not us doing the talking, it’s what Phil Martens says. At the new car’s launch Martens, Ford’s group vp in charge of engineering, said that with the Fusion, Ford is “going at the Japanese automakers’ throats.
“We want to go after the midsize car market,” he continued. “That means Accord and Camry, and we think we have a winner here.
“This is not to say we’re trying. This car is us saying we’re back, back in the car business.” Martens said he thinks the Accord and Camry are nice cars and all, but Dearborn figures the midsize segment needs some attitude. For Ford, that means Fusion.
Pretty strong words. Does the car back them up? Having spent time driving Ford’s latest back to back with its Japanese rivals, we’d say the Fusion has got a shot, especially against the Camry.
For starters the Fusion looks good. Ford says the three-bar chrome grille and smooth front fascia were inspired by the 2003 Ford 427 concept. That car was built on a stretched Lincoln LS rear-drive platform and had a massive 427-cubic-inch V10 under the hood. Fusion makes do with two available engines, a 2.3-liter 160-hp four-cylinder and the 3.0-liter V6.
We only drove the V6 Fusion, which produces 221 hp and 200 lb-ft of torque. You can get the four-cylinder with either a five-speed manual or a five-speed automatic, while a six-speed automatic comes standard with the V6.
The V6 isn’t a bad engine—it feels about on par with Camry’s 190 hp in terms of power and smoothness, but the Accord’s 3.0-liter V6 feels smoother, revs more freely and sounds better. At 240 hp, the Accord has the edge on power, too.
The Fusion rides on a slightly bigger (two inches longer) Mazda 6 platform, a great starting point. Front suspension is a short/long-arm arrangement with a multilink setup in the rear. The steering is slightly heavier than the competitors’, and the car felt thoroughly at home on some North Carolina twisties, with good control of body motions. The standard four-wheel disc brakes (ABS is optional) do a good job stopping the car, even after a hard day’s work.
The interior is nice-looking if a bit unremarkable. At least it looks well-assembled, and the seats are comfortable. Even on the prototypes we drove, material quality looked competitive with what’s out there (well, except for Volkswagen—it’s still at least one step ahead).
The Fusion replaces the Taurus, on the retail side anyway—Taurus will soldier on for fleets and rental-car agencies. The Fusion will be built at Ford’s Hermosillo, Mexico, plant, which can churn out 300,000 Fusions a year. An all-wheel-drive version will come in 2007, Martens said. Other rumored spinoffs include a hybrid and a tallish six-seat wagon.
Prices start at $17,900 for the base four-cylinder model, $18,995 with the automatic. V6 models start at $21,995. To compare, a base Accord starts at $16,295 while Camry starts at $18,445.
So is Martens right? Will the Fusion topple the Accord and Camry? We’ll see. On our day in the Fusion, words such as competent and credible came to mind. Earth-shattering it ain’t, but the Fusion is a solid midsize contender and Ford hasn’t had one of those in a long while. Not since an earlier Taurus routinely battled Camry and Accord for honors as America’s bestselling car.
10-18-2005, 05:26 PM
#91
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Fusion Gets SEMA Treatment - - Source: The Car Connection
Six Ford Fusions will show up to the 2005 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show wearing all manner of customizing choices, built by six different West Coast tuning companies. The companies chosen to prep the Fusions for SEMA include 3D Carbon of Newport Beach, Calif.; FocusSport of Anaheim; H&R Special Springs of Bellingham, Wash.; Draxas of Palmdale, Calif.; HPA Motorsports of Surrey, B.C.; and Street Scene Equipment of Costa Mesa, Calif. The tuners have tweaked the Fusion's style, some for a more European look, and some with turbochargers strapped on their four-cylinder engines. A pair of Fusions with V-6s have tighter suspension tunings. The tuned Fusions will travel from the SEMA show to the Detroit auto show in January.
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10-18-2005, 06:37 PM
#93
The sizzle in the Steak
Originally Posted by gavriil
Very Cool!
10-19-2005, 09:03 PM
#96
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I just saw one on the streets in Chicago the other day. It is ugly in person. shame really,
10-19-2005, 10:57 PM
#97
Registered Abuser of VTEC
I'm not feeling that centre console. It simply looks too "Taurus" to me. It still gives off a cheap vibe, even if the materials aren't cheap.
For some reason the Honda Accord's look MUCH better IMO.
For some reason the Honda Accord's look MUCH better IMO.
10-19-2005, 11:54 PM
#98
^ The Accord uses better simulated wood, plus the overal design is better. The Accord uses the standard T-shaped console/dash, but they'd added curves and whatnot. The Ford's interior is using the upright, straight edged look.
11-07-2005, 10:37 AM
#99
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Ford Fusion SVT News
Car News briefs: Toyota boosts price of '06 Prius; Ford ponders faster Fusion - - Source: Autoweek
Ford ponders faster Fusion
LAS VEGAS -- The SVT performance group of Ford Motor Co. is considering a racier version of the Fusion mid-sized sedan.
"It would seem like a logical extension," said Hau Thai-Tang, Ford's director of advanced product creation, at the Specialty Equipment Market Association show here.
"But we have to look at the future, to see how Fusion overlaps with Mercury Milan and Lincoln Zephyr and to see how we are doing with factory capacity."
Thai-Tang said that Ford probably wouldn't bring out a Fusion SVT until a few years into the Fusion's life cycle, when initial demand for the standard vehicle has tapered off. -MARK RECHTIN
LAS VEGAS -- The SVT performance group of Ford Motor Co. is considering a racier version of the Fusion mid-sized sedan.
"It would seem like a logical extension," said Hau Thai-Tang, Ford's director of advanced product creation, at the Specialty Equipment Market Association show here.
"But we have to look at the future, to see how Fusion overlaps with Mercury Milan and Lincoln Zephyr and to see how we are doing with factory capacity."
Thai-Tang said that Ford probably wouldn't bring out a Fusion SVT until a few years into the Fusion's life cycle, when initial demand for the standard vehicle has tapered off. -MARK RECHTIN
11-07-2005, 10:44 AM
#100
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According to the Dec MT edition, the mag claims that there will be a Fusion GT version of the current Ford Fusion vehicle for the 2007 model year. The difference with the base models will be suspension upgrades and a small bump in HP from tweaks with the intake of the current 3.0L V6. 18 inch wheels have been ruled out.
11-07-2005, 01:23 PM
#101
The sizzle in the Steak
SVT Fusion sounds good to me!
11-07-2005, 02:55 PM
#102
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SVT Fusion is probably a good move.
I saw a Zephyr in Palm Desert
I saw a Zephyr in Palm Desert
11-07-2005, 03:34 PM
#104
The SVT version would be a pretty cool idea. The Fusions they had on display at SEMA looked pretty nice IMO. I'd definitely go for a Fusion over a Pontiac G6... (although that's not saying much)
11-07-2005, 05:08 PM
#105
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In C&D the rankings were:
Camry (4th)
Sonata (3rd)
Fusion (2nd)
Accord (1st)
I think Ford built a very nice car. It's essentially a Mazda in many ways, so I wouldn't fear it being a POS in the end.
Camry (4th)
Sonata (3rd)
Fusion (2nd)
Accord (1st)
I think Ford built a very nice car. It's essentially a Mazda in many ways, so I wouldn't fear it being a POS in the end.
11-07-2005, 05:09 PM
#106
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Originally Posted by gavriil
According to the Dec MT edition, the mag claims that there will be a Fusion GT version of the current Ford Fusion vehicle for the 2007 model year. The difference with the base models will be suspension upgrades and a small bump in HP from tweaks with the intake of the current 3.0L V6. 18 inch wheels have been ruled out.
11-07-2005, 07:19 PM
#110
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Originally Posted by cusdaddy
Disappointing. They should have at least used their new 3.5L engine for the GT
In my opinion, the 3.5L engine should be the optional engine instead of the base 4 cyl engine. And fine, call it the Fusion GT. The SVT should be an AWD V8 engine from the Mustang massaged for 335HP.
11-07-2005, 07:19 PM
#111
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Originally Posted by gavriil
I bet the SVT Fusion will carry the same engine as in the Mazda 6 Mazdaspeed. Turbo 4 and about 275HP.
11-07-2005, 08:42 PM
#112
Fahrvergnügen'd
"But we have to look at the future, to see how Fusion overlaps with Mercury Milan and Lincoln Zephyr and to see how we are doing with factory capacity."
11-07-2005, 09:14 PM
#113
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Originally Posted by gavriil
I bet the SVT Fusion will carry the same engine as in the Mazda 6 Mazdaspeed. Turbo 4 and about 275HP.
11-07-2005, 10:38 PM
#114
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If they're going to use the same engine as in the Mazdaspeed 6, forget it. If they could manage to push a good 300 horsepower or more out of a V8 or even put some forced induction on the Duratec, then maybe we have something here. I wish these American companies would learn something from the Germans or Japanese. Bad enough their cars are boring and their interiors suck, everything engine-wise and chassis-wise has to be duplicated in other models of the same brand.
11-08-2005, 02:49 PM
#116
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Sounds like a cool idea. I don't think its needs huge power thats going to jack the price way up, just the new 3.5 engine tuned a little with a nice exhaust etc to get some extra hp w/ manual tranny, upgraded exterior/ sporty interior, upgraded brakes, suspension, wheels. Sorta like a continuation of the contour svt but just a better package with better accelaration due to the 3.5.
11-08-2005, 03:56 PM
#117
Senior Moderator
Sounds good in theory. But knowing Ford, they'll probably just add 25hp (i.e.: intake/exhaust/timing tuning), ground effects and less cheap looking trim and push that out the door as an SVT.
SVT efforts are focused on the Mustang and F150. There's seems to be little effort in SVT development on other Ford products. While the UK had that sick fast Focus RS, the US market got stuck with Ford's version of the prev gen Civic Si.
SVT efforts are focused on the Mustang and F150. There's seems to be little effort in SVT development on other Ford products. While the UK had that sick fast Focus RS, the US market got stuck with Ford's version of the prev gen Civic Si.
11-09-2005, 02:22 AM
#118
Originally Posted by youngTL
I'm not feeling that centre console. It simply looks too "Taurus" to me. It still gives off a cheap vibe, even if the materials aren't cheap.
For some reason the Honda Accord's look MUCH better IMO.
For some reason the Honda Accord's look MUCH better IMO.
OMFG!!!!!
Why can't American cars make a good interior? Is America that fucking retarded? My 1995 240sx had a better interior then that piece of shit! How can anyone look at that interior and be happy with it? My TL has a better interior and it's a 1999.
2 huge reasons not to buy an American car
1. Interior
2. Resale value
I love it when car makers compare their car to Accords and Camrys as having better "value" when their pieces of shit don't have any resale value and look like crap on the inside.
11-09-2005, 09:04 AM
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Really, what's wrong with the Fusion's interior. The materials, and fit/finish are fine. The only thing you could have a problem with is the design, and that's fine, IMO. It's clean and straight forward, and woudn't look out of place in a Honda, as indicated in the comparison pics. The only thing I see is the Fusion's fake wood isn't quite as convincing as Honda's fake wood.