Ford Fusion

After a lot of researches and all at at last I went for a Fusion. Not surprisingly it is a fusion of SUV and car. I think if Ford do marketing what other companies like Maruti (Eg Swift), Hyundai (santro) etc, then this will be their best selling model. Lots of leg space, boot space, driving comfort and most of all Good mileage too. If You want to enjoy the riding, then just simply go for it. It is value for money. Now they are giving good Discount too. So You can blindly go for it.

The main advantage I feel is that tall man like me, it's better to go for car like this. I tried Ikon, Accent, City, Baleno and Optra. But I like this one a lot.

This one is good for Indian roads, Good ground clearence and Solid body.. I think we don't need a Airbag in these type of cars whihc has a strong body.

The A/C is superb. The position of gear liver is in the right position and the gear shift is also very smooth.

We can summarize that this is a car for indian roads, with a muscular styling ..

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Let me honestly admit here, I am a big fan of Ford. My first hand experience with a Ford Ikon Josh has been superb. I have never witnessed any problems inspite of 52000 odd kms on my IKON and that led me to the next big thing - The Fusion.

Called up a few dealers, and took a test drive. Found it pretty satisfactory and after rounds of negotiation ( actually got 1,26,000 discount), got hold of the 1.6 L mini SUV.

While this vehicle does not seem imposing from the outside, it is quite spacious within. Fusion + comes everything factory fitted including alloy wheels, mody coloured side mouldings, electrically adjusted side mirrors, height adjustable driving seat, steering wheel and everything else.

Pickup is fantastic. Road clearance is one of the best.Engine is absolutely noise less ( At signals you are kept wondering if the engine is running or not !) Riding comfort is smooth ( My friend, on a pothole ridden drive commented that he felt like sailing in a boat !). AC is quite powerful, and surprisingly does not impact performance when switched on.The larger wheel base provides a nice road grip.

Now comes the real fun- Driving on highways. You can get past any vehicle with ease and yet maintain stability. Going past 2500 rpm provides immense driving pleasure. As far as fuel economy is concerned, I am happy with 10kpl.

As far as price is concerned, I really do not wish to comment on this. I like to drive, and from my point of view nothing gets better than Fusion +, in terms of driving comfort.

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I recently bought Ford Fusion. I selected it for it's ruggedness (DURATEC DOHC engine), which only high-end cars / SUVs sport, as well as the space and riding confort it affords. The AC is superb and the space-storage options are wounderful. The basic version, unfortunately, does not come in colours such as Black!

The best feature is the ground clearence which is a must on Indian roads. The tilt steering adds to the array of facilities offered.

The boot space is 400 lts - massive and in league with todays' cars. The rear seats in the 60:40 fashion can allow carrying articles which are long!

The power steering is automatic for all windows with the standard child locks for the rear one. I feel that an additional manual option could also be provided, else you need to start the car, if you forgot to close the windows!

The price is high but I guess would come down later. Surprisingly, you do not find many cars on the roads. In fact, I am yet to find another Ford Fusion on the streets of Lucknow!

Overall, it is a good buy. The Ford tag did influence me. I chose it over Honda City, Suzuki Baleno, Hyuendai Accest GLE, Tata Indigo and Suzuki Esteem.

The fuel efficency ratio is to be watched! A good buy. You will realise the pleasure of driving over 60 kmph. It is a pain to drive in the city -- UUV.. !?

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I have purchased the fusion 2 months ago. There is no doubt that the car is awesome to drive. The best thing about the car is it has a wonderful pickup, extraordinary AC, and decent seating space for a hatchback.

Speed

The car at 100 Kmph does not look to be at that speed. Seems effortlessly picking upto that speed. Although not driven beyond 100, it appears it has enough power to go much beyond.

Interiors

Ordinary interiors, but good enough. Looks are tough. Door handles are convenient. There are back seat handles nicely positioned. Cabin light is bright and there are separate left and right front map reading lights. The best thing is the lights are controlled by door keys. They are automatically switched on when door lock is opened and remain on for 2 minutes. They shut off as soon as ignition key is turned on. This I think is wonderful ingeniuous design.

Road manners

Shock-ups are excellent at higher speeds. However low speed ride on bumps is shaky. Due to the good ground clearance of 198 mm, the car really flies past high bumps without grazing its belly. Got fed-up of my honda city grazing the speedbrakers.

Space & seating

Leg space is great. Back seating is high and spacious. Luggage space is pretty decent. You can fold 40% of seats for more space. 40/60% folding is available. Which means if you are picking up someone from airport or railway station, you can have one member seated at back set and still fold the remaining 2 seats. Thats great.

Overall

The car is value for money. Not a small car. Not a SUV. Not a sedan. A mix of all of these. great to drive on your own. A great car !

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I recently bought a Ford Fusion. This year has seen more than its share of rainfall and I found that Ford has provided a fabric lining to the rear wheel housing. This has fallen apart due to the weight or the mud and water from the monsoons.

First, the choice of fabric as a lining material to the most exposed part of a car begs the question :''What were they thinking?''

I understand from the Ford dealer that this is a desiogn flaw and Ford apparently are working on it.

In the meanwhile, I am stuck with a vehicle that looks like its ready to fall apart. The only solution is that I should come in for replacements ''when the company provides a replacement for that part''. None has been forthcoming in almost a month now.

The general experience now, for all passengers of the car is that of travelling in a poorly maintained Autorickshaw on a rough, bumpy road, due to the constant and loud knocking sound emanating from the rear.

Other parts are also fairly shoddy and conk off after the first use:

1. The clips that hold the boot cover to the rear boot panel. This is attached to a thread and has lost its grip on first use.

   
   




2. The rear seats are foldable, but on first use, the clips are loose and the seats also rattle against the clips that holds them back in the normal position: Solution provided:''Few rounds of insulation tape!!!''

   
   




3. The Wheel covers are clip-ons. Mine was stolen within the first few weeks. Atleast they should have provided bolt fixed wheel covers. New ones cost Rs. 880 a piece!!

   
   

Expected a lot more for the price I paid for this car.

If you are buying this car, please be sure this is all addressed and examine everything.

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Hi all,

I am owning a fusion(base model) for last two months and have covered 6000 kms. Costed me 6.95 on road alongwith a sony mp3 and keyless entry. I really want all of you auto buffs to know onhand experience about this vehicle. On the positive side, you get best of everything like console, gear knob, switch gears, dashboard with all new AC louvres, lotsaspace, 9'' speakers embedded in door panel, height adj. seat belts, decent lights with height adj., programmable wipers etc. On negative side you have evthing thats left. Hardest drive due to tubeless tyres and hydraulic power steering which asks for a muscleman if u wish to cruise more than 100 km. You can even hear those big thuds !! A look which passes very quietly thru ev'ones eyes. Get ready for questions like : A new santro? What car is this? What is the name? You got it modified CHEAP I think !! Also, it gives a feeling like evthing is falling apart. Very very cheap int. and ext plastic. I have to apply oiled cloth to get them shine. The suspension system is just TOO hard. the engine needs constant workout since the power output is at 6500 RPM, something you can never acheive. Second gear ratio is too lean to push the vehicle after a brief screech. AC is ok. Seating is fabulous and only indica and santro offer such a room at rear even. Ride and handling is too poor. I attained a top speed of 140km/h on NH3. Fuel consumtion : 12 highway..god knows what in city! And I couldnt lift up front flat tyre by that ALL NEW IMPROVISED jack. No tool box by the company. No resale of the Car ...

My Suggestion : Never buy this car at the prevalent (over)prices coz you have better options like accent n city. If the car price falls below 5.5 lakhs ex-shroom, Never buy this car coz you can get a far better hatchback and still save a lakh ! Feel free to ask questions on agrawal.anuj@gmail.com .

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Hi all you car crazy people like me!

I bought a Ford Fusion 1 week ago and wanted to drive it around real good before writing a review about it. Now that i've zipped around town and also around the countryside, i'll share what my experience has been.

We had a Hyundai Santro since 5 years and after 75000 kms, it was showing signs of aging! Hence, we were on the lookout for a new car and ruled out Ikon, Accent etc as low seating cars are just not for us. That's when I saw the ad for fusion (anything karega!) and decided to see what can it karega.

The Ford Fusion is being positioned as a city SUV, a unique concept in itself. The first thing that strikes you on seeing the car is it's spaciousness. Leg space, shoulder space, head space and boot space are unmatched by normal cars. The ground clearance too is great- The ad says it is more than even some full fledged SUV's- which i've not yet researched, so, won't comment about.

From the outside, it is a pretty long car (Longer even than an Ikon) and has tubeless tyres as standard fittings! The Fusion has excellent head and tail lighting and an aerial. Now, onto the inside- The seating is extremely comfortable and the rear seat can easily hold 3 people. The boot is too much! A whole family can pack up and leave to wherever. Ford has even given a picnic umbrella free! Air conditioning is very effective and even in this sultry climate, an AC speed of 2 is sufficient (total speeds are 4). The tachometer, odometer and fuel gauge are digital and top speed as shown on the speedometer is 220!! I've taken it upto 120 only yet. Internally adjustable rear view mirrors and rear wipers are standard features. The best part is the completely flexible seating- the rear seat can fold in to give a huge boot or can be totally folded down so someone can sleep full length!

Now, into the engine, the engine is 1600 cc and the pick up is simply phenomenal. 5 speed gear box is manual and shifts a little uncomfortably, though I guess we'll get used to it with time. Power steering is standard option as so are power windows and central locking. The car we bought is standard Fusion and there is another variant- Fusion + in which the primary difference is alloy wheels and body coloured bumpers etc., which I felt did not justify the price increase of over 60000/-!

The Fusion handles beautifully and braking is very effective thanks to disc brakes on front wheels. Mileage in the city is 13 and on highways, goes up to 15.

The on-road price is a little high. It is priced at 7.12 lakhs, but we got it at 6.62, a cool 50000/- off, due to various corporate tie ups, etc. This price I felt is worth the car, but the actual on-road price is atleast 60-70000 too much.Ensure that you bargain with the dealer before buying.

This is a great all-round car- zip around the city- parking is too easy! or take it on a long drive- which is very very comfortable, thanks to tubeless tyres (no worry about a puncture) and great handling, speed and braking. Get a good audio system- the company gives 4 speakers free- and Anything Karega!! Great job, FORD!

As I use this car more, i'm sure i'll find more pros and also a few cons, which i'll keep you guys updated.

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I bought my Fusion in Feb '05 and just love it. After driving a ''city-SUV'' or UAV (Urban Activity Vehicle) as they call it, I hate driving a sedan.

If you require an SUV or a car for city use (especially in crowded areas) this is your car (if you dont mind shelling out Rs.7 Lacs!)

Best part is that in Hyderabad, there aren't many Fusions, so it feels nice to have one :-))) (some people think it's an imported car).

Space is generous, engine is awesome and looks (more so from angles as opposed to just the front or back) are stylish and international. Another major plus point is the ease with which one can sit and get down. You need to make some effort to sit/get down from other cars- Low in sedans and too high in proper SUVs/Jeeps. This is just the right height.

There is one feature I love, which even the dealers didn't know about. If your front wiper is on and you put the car in reverse gear, the rear wiper automatically switches on. This is very thoughtful and convenient.

One thing the designers overlooked was the positioning of the keyhole on the boot. Even for a man of average height, one has to bend a little to access it. Another thing that needs to be improved is the fuel lid cap. There is no spring action which keeps the lid closed. I had to get it fixed thrice!!

All the colours (escept silver) look great, especially with tints. Surpirsingly, silver is one colour that I personally didn't like on the fusion.

For more issues on the fusion, visit the Fusion users forum at yahoo:

https://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/ford-fusion/

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I purchased Fusion Basic almost a month back and have already drivne it for 2700 kms. I find it very good. The drive is excellent and is not at all tiring or strenous. I drove 600 kms at a stretch in a day. The engine is responsive and accelaration is good. It's not very comfortable in heavy city traffic in cities like Chennai/Bangalore where there is stop n go kind of traffic always.

There has been some minor problem with the door and some creaking noise from the rear of the vehicle, other then that, it's good.

It has given me mileage of 12 kms in city and 14-15 on highways.

The handling of the car is excellent, parking and turning is very comfortable which is nightmare in City or Inova. The back seats are comfortable for 3 adults to sit in comfortably and does not feel cramped or anything.

Could you tell me what is your normal speed of driving oh highways.. Is it always with AC on? How long did you take to cover those 600kms? Also provide me how the car handles on higher speeds on rough- and bad roads

Jeevan

Jeevan,

Not sure how to reply to posts in this forum.

My average speed on highways is 90-100 kmph. It is almost 80% A/C on.

It took full 12 hours to cover the distance from Manali to Delhi. The car handling is pretty good on bad roads, as there was 30 km stretch for connecting to GT road, and th car behaves pretty well at speed of 70 on bad roads.

In mountains also, the handling was good and did not find it strenous to drive it in mountains.

-raj

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THE FORD FUSION & ME

A week into my snazzy new Ford Fusion, color Octane - a patronizing malapropism for a dark gray-tinted shade of blue - I can confidently state that I love the fatso with all my heart, much more than any other material possession I have ever had. On road, it fills me with a sense of pride dads typically have when their kids top examinations and get their pics published on prominent pages of popular dailies.

With Ford's pitch that this is an Urban-Activity-Vehicle (whatever that is supposed to mean), the car is not getting enough takers in the Hyundai Getz premium hatchback market, never mind the fact that Fusion is much bigger in terms of physical dimensions or engine capacity/horse power. So those with a hatchback view of life, see Fusion as nothing more than a large hatchback. Upon hearing the price tag, they go ''Tchah! Ridiculous!'' and move on. The 3-box (Sedan) buyers on the other hand typically like to show off their rear-side (I mean their car's boot) if they are putting in Rs 7 lac+ for their car, hence they find the Fusion, a large hatchback, if you may, lacking in big-time snob value. The SUV buyers, on the other hand, wouldn't give the Fusion a second look since its not really there. So, the Fusion is like a college movie hero in the first half, completely misunderstood and waiting for a chance to explain to the disdaining heroine.

Parental pride angle apart, I got thinking as to what the Fusion will be if it was a living, breathing human. For instance, what if my Fusion was a politician? The Fusion would squarely fall on the George W Bush slot. Why? Coz’ the folks who love him, they love him to death. The folks, who hate him, do so with all their heart. As the world's most polarising leader, there are no two ways about one's attitude towards Bush Jr. (though I must say that with respect to American politics, I've moved from widely left-of-center to curiously peeking on the right side while remaining at the center, thanks to total ineptitude of the Dems in the last 4 years). But we're talking about the Fusion. A lot of folks find it overpriced, pretentious and a little lacking in something, considering the UAV positioning. But then again, guys like me love it for its awesome engine, attention-to-detail interiors, overall room and the (really) tall stance. So, George W it has to be.

What if the Fusion was a movie actor? It would then take the place of a silent, brooding, yet confident hero, who doesn't come across as a man of strength for quite some time in the movie till...the foolish villain provokes him thru physical or verbal taunts when the hero, sufficiently stoked, rams his entire hidden power into the hapless villain's ribcage, sending him sprawling in slow motion. If the villain's side-kicks haven't run away at this stage, the hero can send them packing too, since provoking our hero is like poking a stick into a fully laden beehive. In Hollywood, actors like Kevin Costner and may be even Mel Gibson in some of his latter movies may fit the bill. Harrison Ford in Witness can be another example. Closer home, I've been seeing Abhishek Bachhan donning these kind of roles of late in Hindi movies. It could be the Shah Rukh of Main Hoon Na candyfloss fame as well, the uncool way-too-older guy in a graduate college suddenly turning macho and bashing up the baddies.

What this means to roadsters is that, one moment you could have the Fusion striding gently, keeping its 101bhp well under its hood when suddenly there is a need to zip due to a pesky Hyundai Getz or a swaggering Honda City nibbling at its tailgate when zoom...the Fusion goes gliding thru the traffic with its power steering doing precise calisthenics.

Take a sub-9 lac car in the Indian market, you won’t get anything more powerful (101bhp) or wide (1720mm) or with better ground clearance (198mm) or torque (146) or engine capacity (1600cc) or tyre size (15” wheels with 195mm width). Add to this, a commanding seating poisition, interior/luggage space and a host of small features typically taken for granted in the US market, but to be paid for in India... and I really didn’t have to think much further.

Let’s forget politicians and actors for a moment and think about what would it be if the Fusion can be anybody on earth? I guess then my car would really be me, an average city-man shackled by the vagaries of an IT job, grounded as a family guy, yet dreaming of outdoors and adventures, occasionally climbing mountains and trying to push the body’s physical limits during those infrequent moments while for lack of anything better, trying to be a regular in the neighborhood gym and run a few kilometers every day. The Fusion has got to be me. May be, that’s what product identity is all about.

And now, the DISCLAIMER:

· The views above are purely mine and are not supposed to be a sweeping generalization or a reflection of your views on automobile shootouts, American politics or movie preferences. Hence they would not coincide with your views, if they do, its purely “coincidental”, but heck, I don’t mind….

· Getz and City are both fine cars and have got fabulous reviews in mags, however, they’re not my cup-o-tea, if they’re yours, well, lets celebrate our diversity.

· The final word here is: “EACH MAN(WOMAN) UNTO HIS(HER) OWN”

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Before I start to with the review……Its back to the basics. Remember we used to study Nuclear Fusion and Nuclear Fission in school. The primary difference between them was…..strain your memory guys…..lemme just refresh it if you cant remember. The main difference between Nuclear Fusion and Nuclear Fission was the fact that Nuclear Fission cannot be controlled, while Nuclear Fusion can be controlled in a laboratory provided you have the technology to do so. Even if you don’t, no reason to worry…..because you probably wont live long enough to regret it. Anyways….my point….The Fusion is not appropriately named…..It should have been named the Ford Fission, because that is just what it is…..uncontrollable.....simply uncontrollable!!!!

The car is a beauty in more ways than one….Ofcourse its on-road presence is a trifle less than the Safari…..but it’s more than compensated for by the fact….that people will generally stare at a Fusion, not at a Safari….not anymore. No disrespect to the Safari ofcourse…….it’s in an entirely different segment altogether. Anyway….when Ford launched the car….they expected it to be a runaway success…..but sadly it hasn’t been so. There are a couple of reasons for that…..none of which are related to the car’s technology and engine….so put your mind at ease all potential Fusion buyers. (Ironically….A Fusion is anything but potential energy….its all Kinetic energy).

The car has a scaled down engine of the Ford Mondeo 2.0. This baby produces a mind-thrashing 101 bhp and an awesome low end torque providing for rapid acceleration and Ford-legendry hauling/pulling power. Guys….now if you are familiar with the engine of the Mondeo….you’ll probably know….its the best engine in its class…..excluding the Honda Accord V6 3.0 i-VTEC, which is simply in a heaven of its own. But even then….where the Mondeo scores over the Honda is the fact….that the powertrain of the car is more performance-oriented, so while the Honda is just as competent as the Mondeo, the latter is more fun to drive owing to its spirited engine. Moving back to the Fusion, the engine as I said above is a downscaled unit of the Mondeo 2.0. Simply put…..The Fusion uses an engine which would have been used by a Mondeo, if the Mondeo had been launched in the 1.6 variant. The car (Mondeo 1.6), fortunately is not in production…..but it’s engine is. Incidentally a Mondeo 1.6 is like having a Porsche Boxter 911 fitted with an engine of the Esteem.

Hence, the Fusion already has the inherent inbuilt driving pleasure of the Mondeo, more so enhanced by a couple of other technological gizmoes that the old Mondeo didn’t have. 101 horses of power is the same as the Accent GTX Tornado….but with higher low-end torque than the Accent…..you have more power when you’re off-roading.

Enough said about the engine, lets move to the interiors……they’re one of the best I’ve ever seen…..better even than the much more expensive Mitsubishi Lancer INVEX 1.8. The dashboard is similar to the Hyundai Getz, which in turn is similar to the Mercedes-Benz SLK Prototype. If you can steer your eyes away from the dashboard, you can see that……the rest of the cabin too is exquisitely furnished with lots of goodies such as cubbyholes and mobile charging points and stuff.

Incase there are any potential buyers of the Scorpio here….the DX’s and not the CRDe’s then, let me give you a one-off comparo.

The base variant of the Scopio and the Fusion are priced at pretty much the same point…..around 6.40 give or take 0.05, But prices apart….lets check.

Both the Scorpio and the Fusion base versions have Power Steering. Power Windows though are available only in the Fusion. Front and Rear Both. The gearshift of both the cars are notchy at best….but that’s always gonna be there in SUV like cars. The Scorpio, though trying to maintain Sports Style….has positioned its gears like this.

1 3 5

2 4 R.

This is a real pain to drive….especially in traffic….where more often than not….you end up with a false gear…and an engine stall thanx to the heavy-duty clutch-plate of the Scorpio. The Fusion meanwhile uses the conventional 5 speed Syncromesh transmission and McPherson Struts. And Ford as always….being high on safety….has anti Roll Bars and what not….For a small premium, if you intend to do high-speed-wet-road-cornering….You can get ABS too.

The Scorpio….having more height….has a higher centre of gravity has a much bigger chance of rolling over if cornered at high speeds…The Fusion, having less height and more length than the Scorpio wont easily topple over even if you subject it to high-speed-cornering.

And what can I say about the ride quality of the Scorpio. For once….i wont say anything….i’ll quote a leading car magazine. “Less said about the ride quality of the Scorpio, the better”. While the Fusion’s ride quality is definitely much better……somewhere around the range of the Maruti Swift.

I’m really sorry to put-down the Scorpio DX, but it was a great first effort from Mahindra….and they needed an upgrade. And it came in the form of the Scorpio CRDe.

I know….most of you will have questions about the fact….that why didn’t I compare the Fusion to the new Scorpio CRDe, but the thing here is that….the’re priced pretty wide apart…. And it wouldnt do justice to the review. (Collaboration- For Stratfied Sampling, the data has to be homogenous and nearer to the general average)

The mileage of the car….is a respectable 11 in the City with the A.C on….and 14.5-15.5 on the highways with the A.C. on. For an mini-SUV with a petrol engine that’s a spirited performer…..thats not good…..That’s pretty well damn excellent. All the Scorpio Petrol manages with its okayish-performance engine is max 12 on highways…..

The only reason why the car isn’t selling the way it should is the fact….that people think If I’m spending say about 6.80 lakh, I can get a proper sedan (Ikon Sxi/ Accent GLS 1.6 DOHC/ Baleno Vxi), then why not go for something conventional like a proper C+ segment sedan. And that in one word describes why it’s not selling as well as it should have….Conventional

And if you’re not conventional…..and I surely am not……then pick-up the Fusion for some real uncontrollable power of Nuclear Fission. It’s something you’ll never regret…….!!!

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Generally, people who buy a four wheeler broadly classify their vehicles into two categories:

1) Those who look for performance and stability in their automobile. These are the folks who generally opt for a sedan or hatchback car which automatically translates to better highway manners and good fuel economy).

2) Those who prefer rugged build (and looks) who like to travel off-road and want a companion who'll not falter even on the roughest of terrains. These people generally go in for an SUV (Sports Utility Vehicle) which generally has a few features like 4WD option, more ground clearance and stronger build. All this translates to better off-road ability.

Ford has recently launched the Fusion in India. This car is a mix-n-match of a sedan and a SUV and is basically a UAV (as Ford calls it - Urban Activity Vehicle). Let's see how Fusion fares against its competiors in its class:

First of all, who are the competitors for the Fusion? With an asking price tag of around 6.70 lakh Rs. on-road (in Pune) for the base model, the Fusion is straight into the category of C and C+ segment cars. The top end model with all the gadgets (ABS and Electronic Brake Distribution) goes close to 8.0 lakh Rs. (on-road Pune). With Hyundai Getz and Suzuki Swift being priced close to 5 lakh Rs., it's really unfair for these cars to compare with Fusion in terms of performance/features.

Then who are Fusion's direct competitors? Entry level SUVs like Mahindra Scorpio, Tata Safari and C-segment cars like Ikon 1.6 (again from Ford), Mitsubishi Lancer, Chevrolet Optra and Honda City.

Let's see how Fusion performs when compared to its competitors -

Styling:

Fusion has been styled more like a SUV rather than a saloon sedan. It looks like a criss-cross between a SUV and a hatchback. Its petite stance (for an SUV) makes me think of calling it a ''quasi SUV'' rather than SUV. The front end has been inspired quite a bit from the Ford Mondeo. With Mondeo itself being one of the most good-looking cars in its class, Fusion definitely does look good from the front. The rear is a little conservative though compared to the. It appears to be raided from the Honda CR-V. Not bad looking by any means but it's become a kind of retro styling if not outright bland :-).

Engine and Performance:

The Fusion uses a 1.6 litre Duratec family of engines built by Ford. The Petrol Engine is an all new (nothing similar to the one on the Ikon's). With 4 valves per cylinder and a generation ahead, the Duratec Engine is much more powerful than 1.6 litre ROCAM that powers the Ikon. It produces 101 bhp @ 6500 rpm which is quite good for its size. With more power from the tap, the car is a shade quicker than its (already) speedy colleague, the Ikon 1.6. Flooring of the accelerator pedal can bring 0-100 in around 11.5 seconds! Quite fast for an SUV? :-)

Handling:

The Fusion has its trump card in this category beating almost all the SUVs (and most cars) in its class by any margin. Handling is brilliant, a feature which is compromised in most SUVs for off-road ability. The Fusion uses a monocoque chassis setup (like cars) rather than body on chassis (like SUVs). It even handles better than most cars

in C and D segment (except probably Ikon). The reasons being perfectly weighted steering and low profile tyres (trades off ride quality somewhat for better stability at high speed). Turning radius is 4.9 metres, surprisingly low for its dimensions.

Comfort:

Fusion is wider than most C-segment cars. So rear seat comfort is much better. Top end model comes with factory-fitted CD player, Antilock Brakes and Electronic Brake Distribution as standard. There are lots of storage spaces inside. The most innovative one being the one below the front seats. The car runs on ultra low profile tyres of dimensions 195/60 15'' which give it excellent stability on road. Unfortunately, it translates to slightly bumpy ride on craters (which we have everywhere in Pune) at low speeds. However, this gets much better at higher speeds where the excellent chassis and suspension setup manages to overcome the low-profile handicap of wheels.

The car has a ground clearance of 198 mm which is excellent to say the least. For comparison, Ikon, Baleno, Petra and Esteem all have a ground clearance of 170 mm. Having this ground clearance means you never have to worry about the car's belly grazing on the speedbrakers or axle getting damaged due to mini mountains in Pune.

Air conditioner is probably the best in class. It is extremely quiet and cools down the cabin in less than a minute even on a sunny afternoon.

Fuel Economy:

With 101 bhp on tap and a scintillating adrenaline pumping throughout its engine, you can't really expect a hatchback-like mileage from the Fusion. It also has the handicap of SUV dimensions which are probably a little less aerodynamic than its sedan competitors. The Fusion still fares pretty well. As per the reviews from magazines, friends and the dealer, I suppose it gives 11-12 km/litre in city with A/C switched on all the time. It improves to 14-15km/litre on the highway with A/C. It will even stretch a litre or two more at 16-17 km/litre with the windows rolled down and cruising consistently at 80-90 km/hr in the fifth cog. However, spirited driving in the city with A/C on full blast might bring it down a little, maybe around 9-10 km/litre.

Still it is better than most of the cars in its class (and probably ALL the petrol-powered SUVs as well).

Overall:

The Fusion is a mix and match of a car and an SUV. It has trendy looks, great performance, superb handling, excellent air conditioning and loads of luggage space (for a car) going for it. Some drawbacks being the top end models (which sport safety features like ABS and EBD) are on the expensive side. The Engine is fully imported, so probably maintenance cost may turn out to be expensive compared to say, Baleno or Accent.

If you are the one who likes to have the space of SUV and rugged image and, but at the same time want car-like handling, performance and comfort, your search definitely ends here :-)!

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I bought a Ford Fusion+ about 4 months back, and thought that I should put my experiences with the vehicle on record, in view of the poor press that it has been getting recently. I love to drive, and decided on the Fusion after testing (and rejecting, for various reasons) a number of cars including the Accent, Lancer, Getz and Honda City. While it is beyond the scope of this review to go into why I decided against these excellent vehicles, I can give some pointers to why I chose the Fusion, and what my initials impressions are.

The Fusion is built on the same platform as the Ikon, but stands higher thanks to the 15 inch wheels (shod with tubeless Bridgestone tyres) it employs, and also boasts a higher seating position akin to that offered by the Innova. It has a very muscular look, and from the rear bears a slight resemblance to the Indica due to the elongated tail lights. The suspension is slightly stiff and handles the rough Indian roads with panache. The ride quality is excellent on smooth roads. It is powered by a 1.6 litre Duratec engine, which similar to that on the Mondeo, and is of a later generation than the Rocam engine seen on the Ikons.

So much for the technical part. What captivated me was that the engine was so silent that I had to look at the tachometer to be sure that the engine was on, after turning the key (with the glasses rolled up). The engine is also quite powerful, with a smooth power delivery that makes overtaking in the 4th and 5th gears a snap. The Fusion also takes hilly terrain easily in its stride. As for fuel efficiency, it is on par for course, compared to other vehicles in the same category (except the City)-I get about 10kmpl with mainly city driving in 2nd and 3rd gears, and 13kmpl on long drives.

The seats are quite comfortable, with plenty of leg space in the rear even though it is shorter than the Accent and Lancer. This is so because the bonnet is very short, unlike in the other two cars, and the cabin space remains almost the same in all of them. The back seats, however, are a little thin on cushioning, and will not be appreciated by passengers during long drives! One drawback is that the central console of the dashboard, which houses the CD player and air-con controls are so wide that there is no space to the side of the clutch pedal for you to rest your foot, which has to be drawn back after using the clutch. The gear shift is excellent, but for some weird reason, the teeth gnash when you go into reverse if you dont keep the clutch pedal pressed for 3 seconds (according to the manual) before engaging the reverse gear. The Fusion also has a very tight turning diameter of 4.9 meters, similar to the Accent.

The initial batch of Fusions gave the vehicle a bad name because of rattling from the doors and windows, but I have not faced that problem so far, and the company claims to have tracked it down and sorted it out over 3 months back. The only thing that left a bad taste in the mouth was that when you take the Fusion Plus, it comes with only 4 alloy wheels, with the spare tyre having a steel wheel-slightly cheap on the part of the company!

Finally I would recommend this vehicle to all those who love to drive, and do not think that only sedans should be priced above Rs. 6 lakh. If you love a few frills like alloy wheels, opt for the Fusion+, since it also comes with a lot of little extras which make the vehicle look a lot more posh!

If you would like to get more feedback on what the common complaints with this vehicle are, check the Fusion owners group (fordfusion) at Yahoogroups.

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The car LOOKS AWESOME and BIG REALLY BIG in Real Life!!!

FULL MARKS TO DESIGN!!

THE PRICING!!!

That would be the KILL FACTOR

this car is going down, Just like the Mondeo, The pricing is going to kill it.

About the car itself, I wasnt to satisfied with the magazine reviews, so I looked further, I found out that this car is sold in the European market as a 3 box sedan and I have read customer reviews that would give this car an average of 5.8 outta 10.

So its not all that hot, There forums on users complaining about technical issues and stuff.

FYI: The Version that is launched here is way better looking than the sedan.

So just making my point, Do not completely rely on the mags, look on further.

Ford in India has not been able to do what Maruti, Tata, Hyundai and others have managed to do, make a car for the masses.

They need to seriously price and place their products much better than what they are doing now.

TO guage success of a vehicle... 2-3 months is more than enough, I have seen only 2 Fusions since its launch, and that is pathetic.

Pricing is the main factor that kills all Ford Vehicles!

All the best to Ford India, they are going to need all of it!!

MMMMWWWHAHAHAHAHAHA!!

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Ford Fusion ?A 1400Km Drive Report. A lay Man?s View. Why Did I buy it? : I needed a Vehicle which is a little high powered, Roomy and not a sedan.

Price: 7, 80,000 on Road.

Version: fully loaded with EBD and ABS and in dash CD player.

Exteriors: Well Built Frame and Doors which close with a re-assuring Clug Sound, Higher Ground Clearance, very acceptable head lamps, a cameo SUV Look, Fog Lamps, Intelligent Wiper Systems.

Interiors: A Panoramic Wind Shield with a High Seating Position which gives a very Good View of the Roads and the vehicles in front of you. There are no Blind Spots due to the Pillars, A well designed system of Rear and Side view Mirrors which literally eliminate all the Blind spots. The SV Mirrors are internally Adjustable and are large and properly placed. A Good pair of seats but not very Luxurious. Very Comfortable to drive and one experiences little back problems in Long Drives. The Plastics and the dash are short changed. Not Cheap looking though but definitely do not look Classy.

Internal Controls: The steering system is very Good and faithfully transmits your hand movements to the wheels. This means that you can shoot through the gaps as if you are playing video games. The gear shift sytem is classy and can stand on its own against any other. Short throws, the gears slotting as if they are sucked into are absolute Delight while driving. The brakes do exactly what they are supposed to. They stop the vehicle when and where exactly you want the vehicle into. Very Reassuring. A responsive gas pedal and a hard Clutch, Umm, Not Bad. The switches, A/C Controls and the knobs converse directly with my hands without bothering me. The AirCon is very good. Instantly cools the interiors and is a relief in the sweltering Chennai Weather

The Engine: The Duratec smiles knowingly when you start the vehicle and is very restrained in the first two gears and upto 1400 RPM?s. The gears, I guess are so teethed to make initial Torque band not very straining. Beyond 155 and from 2000RPM in the third gear, or in the Fourth gear, I tend to take my left feet off and relax, Knowing well that either I can Zip or Crawl and not bother the clutch.

My long drives to the office are no more a pain. The vehicle has very smooth torque curves from 1400 to 3200 RPM during which one can tip 120KMPH effortlessly for Hours. I did not try any more speeds, what with my kid sleeping in the back on my way from Trichi on the national high Way. A classy engine. Wish Ford has put in a 2 litre Duratec though.

The Rides: With a 195 Tubeless, the low speed drives are okay but with the speeds on cruises, the ride smoothens out. The Drivability is bumpy, at low speeds and you feel the roads. The vehicle has a little Role at higher speeds but the confidence that you can do pin-point steering offsets it.

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Among all the excitement in the new car launches in comes the Ford Fusion. It could'nt manage to win any awards but lets discover this Crossover Vehicle.

Highly Unconventional -Looks like a much scaled down SUV or a bulky hatchback.It's shape is that of an SUV although much lower in hieght.Front headlamps look cool and in some way give an impression of a Wagon-R or even an Opel Vectra(Strange Comparison Right??). For those who like big and imposing vehicles in the SUV image -sorry this is clearly not that sort of a car!.But yet something very different and modern. Read on..

What Fusion will make you notice is its SUV type of styling and 15-inch wheels.Good Ground Clearance is supportive of some mild Off Roading.Fusion has the looks of a mini-SUV from the front, thanks largely to a blunt nose, and imparts a strong impression of purposefulness Fusion with over 4 mtr in length falls clearly in the Lower-C-segment. But Surprisingly it's price tag puts it in Higher C-Segment up against City or even Scorpio.

It was high time that Ford India expanded its product portfolio and increased the spread of its products with the ageing Ikon not being able to carry the company by itself and the Endeavour and the Mondeo being relatively low volume products. That, however seems not to be the case as the Fusion, in all likelihood will be placed above the Ikon, something for the Ikon owners to graduate to.Looks pretty undigestable???

The Fusion shares the same Fiesta platform on which the Ikon is also built and the three have an identical wheelbase.The premise of Fusion?s engineering is that it should be well in tune with the demands of city driving. Tailored blanks with high-strength steels have been used in the body structure to create stiff mounting points for the chassis systems.

We had first seen the Duratec family of engines on the Mondeo and what a scorcher that had turned out to be. Developed in conjunction with Mazda, this 1596cc engine will be put together at HM?s Pithampur plant where the Ikon engines are also made. This 4-cylinder all aluminium engine is naturally aspirated and develops maximum power of 100PS at 6500rpm and 143NM of torque at 3400rpm. This more modern engine has been adopted in keeping with the positioning of the Fusion and features throttle-by-wire technology.The engine breathes through 16 valves (intake being 30.1mm and exhaust 24.1mm) which are controlled by belt driven double overhead camshafts.

PERFORMANCE: Not as great as could have been hoped for.Here are some Road Test Figures:- The car gets to a 100kmph in 12.74s and to 150kmph in 33.39s. Quarter mile comes up in 18.20s while it gets to the one kilometre mark in 33.88s. Top speed though is a respectable 174kmph which it gets to in fourth gear. The car is definitely much quicker than its sibling though.(Ikon)

On-road performance is good and given its top end grunt, it is as easy to drive on the highway. But one has to keep shifting to keep it in the power band. If the revs fall below the 2000rpm mark, specially in the higher gears then you are in trouble. Some slick shifting allows you to derive the best from this otherwise good performer

Fusion- has loads of space-much better than the other C-Segement competitors.But the quality of interiors are very cheap for a car that costly.I gues Ford should see what class interiors Honda offers on the City!

Fuel Efficiency: Ford's UAV would dissapoint those looking for economy. It wouldnt return more than 9 kmpl. With no Diesel option it may be difficult to sell the Fusion to the economy concsious Indians

Fusion offers much what the Hyundai Getz has to offer-Class Leading Space in a hatchback shape,Great Performance .Plus it's MINI-SUV Shape may appeal to some people! But at close to 7 Lacs it is too expensive-leave alone the Getz selling at 4.75-5Lax being overrpiced

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The below review is on my long test drive and spending more than 3 hrs with the car --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------

Ford India Launches a SUV Ford-Fusion , thinking that this would catch the SUV market in india, by telling sab kuch karega!!!!

First of all SPACE: We all know SUV means u expect good space (leg room) 3 tall guys seating in back seat, but this is not happening here, the leg room doesnt suffice for 3 adults in back, as u all sit in CRV ,

Next he talks about Technology and safety: its really good, the engine performs good, if u give a gentle push to the pedal thats enough,gear shifting is smooth and engine too.

Fuel system which normal ford uses ?Sefi??, stands for 'Sequential Electronic Fuel Injection', which technically is the best for variants of Mpfi.

Interiors are good not excellent, not upto the mark, an extra charging(DC 12v) point for rear is provided, the rear seat rest has a different look, there is a storage space for magazines/cassetes under the front passenger seat, just have to fold to access it.

It has good boot space 335ltrs, but overall the car is good,

But if you are looking to buy an SUV, if u mean sports utility vehicle then , I don't see this is matching for this section, I would say it is a c segment car with good boot space.

But if you are looking for mid size car and good boot space for 4 tall guys and a kid, then you can think of FUSION .

Just making cosmetic changes and pulling at the rear for boot space you just can't tell and compare SUV.

To my knowledge this will give an average of 8-10kmpl.

Basic model costs around Rs 6.20 lakh and fusion plus is 7.10 lakh

Its not worth for the price tag

Aisa doosra bhi to karega..............

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DESIGN---Ford Fusion is a mixed bag.Neither here nor there.It lies in between!More like Ardh-Nareshwar!Chhacka!Ha !

Just kidding! Its a lovely design.All the details are worked out with thought ...only the peices when put togther dont seem to quite gel.Rather the sum of the parts is not equal to the whole.

INTERIORS---Very drab colors.Grey and dust colored.Quality of fabric is decent.Honda city look is miles away.

DRIVE-- Engine fired to life.No sound at idling.Pick up in 1st gear is better then average.But 2nd gear makes you feel as if you are driving a Daewo Matiz! No pull.3rd gear and touching 3000 rpm gives you a bit of surge.

Drab driveability.Gears are slick but not again upto the refinement of a honda city.

Not a speed demons refuge.

NVH---Quite disturbing to find so much noise.The bonnet when opened did not reveal sound dampers.

Knick-Knacks--- lots of cubby holes.Who needs them? Booth is small compared to indigo marina.12v double plugs are useful.Nets in boot etc.

RIDE-- lots of roll at sharp turnings.Bouncy ride is more accentuated due to the tall sitting and high ground clearance.

Pricing--- Overpriced by atleast 2 lacs.

VERDICT-- if it had atleast 100 bHP,with airbags option then it would probably be worth its price.Don't go for it. Buy the Swadeshi Marina.

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Fusion of a SUV and a hatchback or of a (suv and a sedan)

It has a shape of an SUV although scaled down .It has length of a Corsa ,Hieght of a Getz/City , Width of an Optra/Octavia.

Result u get is a crossover-something difficult to categorize.

Its Technical Specs:- 1.6 LTR +101 BHP(Enough to send C-Segement cars rocking)

Competition: Getz (for once Getz looks VFM ),Baleno, Accent for Base Version

and City/Optra for Higher Version

Looks Good??- Different ,not exactly beautiful-But looks Solid

Powerful?? Yes

Off Roader??-a mild one

VFM???-Definitley Not

Interior Space-Excellent

Interior Quality-Poor for a 6.5-7 Lac car

Fuel Efficient??-No

Can it handle Competition?? Looks unlikely

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