2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid rated most fuel-efficient midsize sedan

Dearborn, Michigan - Ford has announced that its 2010 Fusion Hybrid, scheduled to go on sale in early 2009, has been certified at 41 mpg (US) in the city and 36 mpg on the highway (approximately 5.7 and 6.5 L/100 km), which the company said makes it the most fuel-efficient midsize car in America.

Ford said that these figures beat the Toyota Camry Hybrid by 8 mpg (US) in the city and 2 mpg on the highway, and even undercuts the much smaller Honda Civic Hybrid by 1 mpg in city driving.

“The new Ford Fusion Hybrid not only significantly exceeds the competition, but also embodies Ford’s 100 per cent commitment to fuel efficiency leadership, quality, innovation and advanced technology,” said Derrick Kuzak, group vice president, Global Product Development. “The Ford team set the bar high - to develop America’s most fuel-efficient midsize sedan - and that’s what they delivered.”

The Fusion, which will also be sold in the U.S. as the Mercury Milan Hybrid, is able to travel up to 47 mph (75.6 km/h) in all-electric mode, which Ford said is faster than all other currently available hybrids. The system’s Advanced Intake Variable Cam Timing allows the vehicle to more seamlessly transition from gasoline to electric mode and back again.

The system includes a smaller, lighter nickel-metal hydride battery that produces 20 per cent more than the previous hybrid system, used in the Escape Hybrid, along with a new 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine that produces 155 horsepower and 136 lb-ft of torque, an electronically controlled continuously variable transmission, a climate control system that monitors cabin temperature and only runs the gasoline engine as needed to heat the cabin, an electric air conditioning compressor, and regenerative braking to capture energy normally lost through friction.

The new Fusion Hybrid also includes Ford’s new SmartGauge with EcoGuide, a unique instrument cluster that helps to coach drivers on how to achieve maximum fuel efficiency and performance.

41 MPG! All-New Ford Fusion Hybrid Is Now America's Most Fuel-Efficient Mid-Size Car

- Ford Fusion Hybrid certified at 41 mpg in city and 36 mpg on highway - beating the Toyota Camry hybrid by 8 mpg in city and 2 mpg on highway

- Advanced hybrid propulsion system allows Fusion Hybrid to reach speeds of up to 47 miles per hour in electric mode - faster than the Camry Hybrid and all other hybrids currently on the road

- New smaller, lighter nickel-metal hydride battery produces 20 percent more power than the previous hybrid system and a new regenerative brake system allows for approximately 94 percent energy recovery in city driving

- On sale this spring, new Fusion Hybrid can travel more than 700 miles on a single tank of gas in city driving

DEARBORN, Mich., Dec. 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The all-new Ford Fusion Hybrid is now officially America's most fuel efficient mid-size car with a certified 41 mpg rating in the city and 36 mpg on the highway, topping the Toyota Camry hybrid by 8 mpg in the city and 2 mpg on the highway.

"The new Ford Fusion Hybrid not only significantly exceeds the competition but also embodies Ford's 100 percent commitment to fuel efficiency leadership, quality, innovation and advanced technology," said Derrick Kuzak, group vice president, Global Product Development. "The Ford team set the bar high -- to develop America's most fuel efficient mid-size sedan -- and that's what they delivered."

The 2010 Ford Fusion's final fuel economy certification was completed this week at Ford's testing laboratories in Allen Park, Mich., and the vehicle will carry an EPA label of 41 mpg for city driving and 36 mpg on the highway when it goes on sale this spring. The Fusion Hybrid, which beats even the much smaller Honda Civic hybrid by 1 mpg in city driving, can travel more than 700 miles on a single tank of gas.

To deliver the class leading fuel economy performance, Ford's engineers spent the past three years developing in-house the vehicle's next-generation hybrid propulsion system. It allows the Fusion and Mercury Milan hybrid to travel up to 47 miles per hour in pure electric mode, faster than the Toyota Camry and all other hybrids currently on the road. In addition, the system's Advanced Intake Variable Cam Timing allows the Fusion and Milan hybrids to more seamlessly transition from gas to electric mode and vice-versa.

"The Fusion Hybrid's ability to run at a much higher speed in electric mode allows drivers to maximize fuel efficiently in many driving situations," said Praveen Cherian, Fusion Hybrid program leader. "For example, this would allow drivers to travel around their subdivision and parking areas in all-electric mode."

Fusion's advanced hybrid system features:

-- Smaller, lighter nickel-metal hydride battery, which produces 20 percent more power than Ford's previous hybrid system. The battery's improved chemistry allows it to be run at a higher temperature and cooled using cabin air.

-- New 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine (155 horsepower / 136 lb.-ft. of torque), which is mated to an electronically controlled continuously variable transmission.

-- Enhanced electronic throttle control, which reduces airflow on shutdowns, reducing fueling needs on restarts.

-- Smart climate control system, which monitors cabin temperature and only runs the gas engine as needed to heat the cabin. It also includes an electric air conditioning compressor to further minimize engine use.

-- Regenerative brake system, which captures the energy normally lost through friction in braking and stores it. Nearly 94 percent energy recovery is achieved by delivering full regenerative braking, which means only 6 percent of braking is through traditional friction brakes

SmartGauge Teaches Eco-Driving

The new Fusion Hybrid literally teaches drivers how to make the most out of their vehicle, thanks to Ford's SmartGauge with EcoGuide. SmartGauge is a unique instrument cluster that helps coach drivers on how to optimize the performance of their hybrid.

SmartGauge with EcoGuide features two, high-resolution, full-color liquid crystal display screens on either side of the vehicle's speedometer. The screens can be configured to show different levels of driver information, including fuel and battery power levels, and average and instant miles-per-gallon.

When set in tutorial mode, the instrument panel "grows" leaves and vines on-screen to reward fuel-efficient driving. The more leaves and vines that appear, the more efficient the driving behavior is and the more fuel is being saved. In some recent tests, automotive journalists have reported exceeding 50 mpg with the Fusion Hybrid.

The Ford Fusion Hybrid also is distinct on the outside with Ford's "road and leaf" badges on both sides and the rear, unique 17-inch, eight-spoke wheels, and a unique engine cover. On the inside, Fusion Hybrid features eco-friendly seat fabric made from post-industrial 100 percent recycled materials and a standard 110-volt power outlet.

Fusion Gasoline Model Also a Fuel Leader

In addition to the hybrid, Fusion will be offered with three fuel-efficient gasoline engines -- the Duratec 2.5-liter I-4 and enhanced 3.0-liter flex-fuel V-6 and 3.5-liter V-6 Duratec engines. Fusions equipped with the 2.5-liter I-4 engine are expected to deliver at least 3 mpg better on the highway than the Honda Accord and 2 mpg better than the Toyota Camry.

The new Fusion will be building off the strong quality reputation of the current model, which has gained important third-party accolades, and will offer class-exclusive features, including Ford SYNC(TM), SIRIUS(R) TravelLink(TM), BLIS(TM) (Blind Spot Information System) with Cross Traffic Alert and Sony-branded audio.

In addition to the Fusion, several other Ford vehicles are fuel-economy standouts on the road today. They include:

-- The Ford Focus with 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine and manual transmission delivers 35 mpg on the highway, 5 mpg better than the Toyota Corolla's 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine and 2 mpg better than the Honda Fit's 1.5-liter 4-cylinder engine, both also with manual transmissions.

-- The all-new 2009 Ford F-150 - which just recently was named Motor Trend magazine's Truck of the Year - achieves 3 mpg more than the Toyota Tundra pickup on the highway and 1 mpg better in the city with its 4.6-liter V-8 engine, compared to Toyota's 4.7-liter V-8. The F-150's larger 5.4-liter V-8 achieves 2 mpg better on the highway than the Tundra's larger engine.

-- The 2009 Ford Escape with new 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine achieves 28 mpg on the highway, the same as Toyota's RAV4 and 1 mpg better than the Honda CR-V, both with 4-cylinder engines, too.

-- The Ford Expedition achieves 20 mpg on the highway, beating Toyota Sequoia's 4.7-liter V-8 engine by 3 mpg and its 5.7-liter V-8 by 1 mpg.

and 1 mpg better than the Honda CR-V, both with 4-cylinder engines, too.

Four-banger Ford Fusion rated 34 mpg highway, leads class

After the EPA gave Ford’s Fusion Hybrid the highest mpg rating of any vehicle in its class, the Dearborn, Michigan, automaker has another number to brag about: Highest mpg rating of any conventional gas engine in its class, at 34 mpg. The rating applies to 2010 Fusion S sedans with the four-cylinder engine and the optional six-speed automatic transmission.

Four-cylinder, six-speed Chevrolet Malibus, Saturn Auras and Pontiac G6s earn 33 mpg, according to the EPA, and four-cylinder, five-speed automatic Honda Accords and Toyota Camrys earn 31 mpg.

Fusion was also rated at 23 mpg in the city, 1 mpg ahead of the GM sedans and Accord and 2 mpg ahead of the Camry.

Leftlane recently had the opportunity to sample the Fusion in all four of its engine choices, though we weren’t given the chance to measure conventional gas engine fuel economy. Look for another more in-depth review in the future.

Although Ford’s all-new Fusion sedan just debuted at last November’s Los Angeles Auto Show, Ford engineers are already focusing on the next iteration of the car. More specifically, Ford’s European engineers are already working on the next Fusion. That’s because the next-generation of the mid-size sedan will be based on the Euro-spec Ford Mondeo.

According to Derrick Kuzak, Ford group vice president of global product development, the Blue Oval will be merging the Fusion and Mondeo into a single global model. “We’re transitioning to a Fusion-Mondeo convergence,” he told Automotive News.

The next Fusion will ride on a modified version of the Mondeo’s EUCD platform. Ford engineers decided to base the next Fusion on the EUCD platform rather than the current Fusion’s CD3 platform because it is a newer architecture. Ford’s decreased stake in Mazda was also likely factored into the decision, as the CD3 platform is derived from the Mazda6 sedan.

Ford’s CD3 platform also underpins the Mercury Milan, Lincoln MKZ and MKX and Ford Edge, but it remains unclear if all of those models will be making the jump to the new platform – internally dubbed CD4.

The CD4-based Ford Fusion is expected to launch in 2012 as a 2013 model year.

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In 1964, Motor Trend's Car of the Year award went to the entire Ford lineup, recognizing its combination of design, engineering excellence, and performance. In 1970, we gave the nod to the Ford Torino, which could be ordered in a wide variety of configurations. Forty years ago, buyers could choose from economical, six-cylinder-powered sedans to the dragstrip-ready 429 Super Cobra Jet fastback. These legendary winners had one thing in common: bandwidth. In the 1960s and '70s, this term wasn't yet part of popular lexicon. Today, the 2010 Ford Fusion's impressive bandwidth as a model range was one of the many factors that helped it earn the 2010 Motor Trend Car of the Year award.