* The 2010 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan and their hybrid versions received the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s “Top Safety Pick” rating
* Ford hybrids offer the best combination of safety and fuel economy as Fusion and Milan hybrids join the Escape and Mercury Mariner hybrids as the only vehicles in their segments with leading fuel economy, “Top Safety Pick” awards and exclusive safety technologies
* The Fusion and Milan deliver segment-exclusive safety and driver-aid technologies, such as SYNCTM with 911 Assist, Blind Spot Information System (BLIS) with Cross Traffic Alert (CTA)
DEARBORN, Mich., March 27, 2009 – The all-new 2010 Fusion and Fusion Hybrid – the most fuel efficient midsize cars in North America – has received a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).
Ford is the only automotive brand to offer two hybrids that have segment-leading fuel efficiency, “Top Safety Pick” awards and exclusive safety technologies. The Fusion Hybrid offers 41 mpg city while the Escape Hybrid is the most fuel-efficient SUV on the market and also garnered a “Top Safety Pick.”
“Customers no longer have to choose between fuel economy and safety – now they can have both with the Fusion and Escape hybrids,” said Susan Cischke, group vice president, Ford Sustainability, Environment and Safety Engineering.
The new Fusion Hybrid’s class-leading fuel economy bests the Toyota Camry hybrid by 8 mpg in the city. It also features Ford’s innovative SmartGauge™ with EcoGuide, which coaches hybrid drivers to maximize fuel efficiency.
In addition, the new Fusion and Milan offer three fuel-sipping gas engine options, including the Duratec 2.5-liter I-4 and enhanced 3.0-liter 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 3.5-liter V-6 powers the all-new Fusion Sport model.
Side impact protection
Fusion and Milan get some of their core strength from the use of lightweight high-strength steel in the body structure. The structure of the Fusion helps it withstand intrusion in a side impact. The tailor-welded B-pillars between the front and rear doorframes are stronger at the top of the vehicle –from below the beltline upward – than at the bottom. This helps to channel energy below the level of the occupants. At the torso level and above, the structure helps to prevent intrusion into the passenger compartment.
“The new Fusion and Milan continue to build on Ford’s leading safety heritage and prove yet again that a high level of safety can come in a midsize package,” said Steve Kozak, chief engineer, Ford Safety Systems.
Fusion’s side-protection elements include:
* Two energy absorbing foam blocks between the inner door panels and interior trim, aligned with the occupants’ chest and hip
* Side-intrusion beams inside the door, anchored at the hinge and latch areas
* Tailor-welded steel in the B-pillar structure with extra thickness—nearly a quarter inch of solid steel—above the beltline
* Seat-deployed thorax air bags for front occupants and side-curtain air bags for head protection in both rows
Segment-exclusive features
Among the segment-exclusive safety and driver aid technologies on the new Fusion and Milan are Blind Spot Information System (BLIS) with Cross Traffic Alert (CTA) and 911 Assist.
BLIS with CTA uses two multiple-beam radars in the rear quarter panels (one per side) for two different – but important – purposes. BLIS checks the defined blind spot zone, which is about 10 feet from the back of the bumper to the outside mirrors. When a vehicle is detected, an amber light in the outside mirror of whichever side the vehicle is on lights up. The driver is still responsible for any lane changes, but the BLIS is there to help.
Cross Traffic Alert notifies the driver of impending traffic when backing out of a parking spot and warns the driver when a vehicle is detected within three car widths of either side of the car. As with BLIS, the driver is warned with a light in the outside mirror on the side of the traffic. A warning beep is also sounded.
For safety and security, the 2010 Fusion and Milan include 911 Assist, a new feature integrated into the award-winning Ford SYNCTM hands-free system. 911 Assist is designed to aid occupants in placing a call directly to a local 911 emergency operator if an accident that activates an air bag or the emergency fuel cutoff occurs. Unlike competitive systems that are routed through an intermediate call center, 911 Assist places the call directly to the 911 operator to speed response time. Ford Escape also features SYNC with 911 Assist.
A recent Ford study shows that SYNC’s hands-free operation significantly reduces the level of distraction when drivers select a phone number or choose a song on their MP3 player compared with the same operations with hand-held cell phones and music players.
“We know people want to stay connected in their vehicles, so we’re delivering that connectivity for them responsibly and safely,” Cischke said. “Our research backs up what most of us instinctively know – that it’s better while driving to place a call using a voice interface than dialing manually, so you can keep your hands on the wheel and eyes on the road.”
About IIHS’s Top Safety Picks
To receive IIHS’s “Top Safety Pick,” vehicles must earn the top “good” ratings in the Institute’s offset frontal and side crash tests, and a rear crash test simulation that evaluates seat and head restraints. An added requirement since 2007 is that vehicles also must offer electronic stability control. Ford Motor Company has more IIHS “Top Safety Picks” than any other automaker.
Both Fusion and Milan offer AdvanceTrac® electronic stability control as standard equipment. The safety system uses sensors to detect and measure yaw, or side-to-side skidding conditions, by monitoring the vehicle’s speed, throttle position and steering wheel angle. When AdvanceTrac® senses wheel slip, engine torque is reduced and braking is applied where needed to help the driver keep the car tracking on its intended path.
Safety and Security
Fusion and Milan’s standard safety features also include:
Six Standard Air Bags and Ford’s Personal Safety System®: Safety features include six air bags (dual-stage driver and front-passenger air bags, chest side air bags for front-seat occupants and side-impact air curtains), safety belt pretensioners, seat weight-sensing system for the passenger seat and crash-severity sensing.
BeltMinder®: BeltMinder is a Ford technology that takes over after the initial safety belt reminder stops chiming. If the driver remains unbuckled, the system chimes and flashes a warning lamp for six seconds every 30 seconds for five minutes or until the driver buckles up, whichever comes first.
LATCH: The Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren system provides convenient mounting points for compatible child seats.
Tire Pressure Monitoring System: This system warns a driver if one or more tires are significantly underinflated. An active pressure sensor with a radio transmitter is mounted inside each tire. A receiver in the vehicle monitors each transmitter, and if tire pressure is not within specific limits, it will activate a visual warning light.
###
About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 213,000 employees and about 90 plants worldwide, the company’s wholly owned automotive brands include Ford, Lincoln, Mercury and Volvo. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford’s products, please visit www.ford.com.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
GM, Chrysler may be in fast lane to bankruptcy
Experts say a managed reorganization may now be only possible option
Executives at General Motors and Chrysler are speeding to put in place workable plans to restore their faltering businesses. But this may be one race they are unlikely to win.
On Monday, President Obama said the turnaround plans that the two automakers presented to Congress earlier this year hadn’t gone far enough. He gave them one last chance to turn their operations around, raising the threat that he might force GM into a quick, managed bankruptcy if that proves to be the fastest way to restore it to health.
Obama’s measures were drastic. Chrysler received financing for 30 days to complete a partnership with Italian automaker Fiat, after which the government will no longer continue to fund it. GM got 60 days worth of funds to revise its turnaround plan. Despite the tough deadlines, some form of managed bankruptcy now looks like the most probable option for GM, analysts say. And it’s a move that could have a slew of side effects, not least of which would be lower confidence in GM’s products.
“I never thought I’d hear myself say a GM bankruptcy is likely, but I’m saying it now,” said John Wolkonowicz, a senior auto industry analyst with IHS Global Insight. “I think the list of requirements that the government is giving GM means a structured, quickie bankruptcy is almost assured because I don’t think they can accomplish what the government wants them to get done in 60 days.”
With a June 1 deadline to accomplish changes sought by the government, GM’s new CEO Fritz Henderson said Tuesday more of its plants could close and it is likely to offer another buyout program to workers as it looks to cut labor costs. Henderson also said that although GM would prefer not to use bankruptcy protection to save itself, it is “certainly more probable” than in the past.
GM and Chrysler have spent months paring their vehicle production levels, closing plants and shrinking their workforces. But their biggest challenges have been trying to secure ample labor cost concessions from the United Auto Workers union and persuading reluctant bondholders to accept unfavorable terms on the debt GM wants them to swap for equity in the company.
These matters remain unresolved. And although the Obama administration has said bankruptcy is not favored or certain, the feeling among many industry observers is a managed bankruptcy may be the only way to force through these necessary changes. Generally speaking, bankruptcy would break onerous union contracts and force the bondholders to accept less favorable terms.
A bankruptcy for GM won’t be a bankruptcy in the true sense of the word. Under a traditional Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, GM would gain the “breathing room” to work out its affairs and implement a new business plan. That course of action has been commonly rejected because it could prove lengthy and would likely drive car consumers away from the automakers’ brands.
An alternative course of action suggested by some proponents of letting GM go into receivership is what’s known as a “prepackaged” bankruptcy — one in which a company prepares its reorganization in cooperation with its creditors and implements it as soon as it enters bankruptcy.
But given the automaker’s inability to negotiate concessions from creditors and the union to date, a prepackaged bankruptcy no longer looks like an option, said Douglas Baird, a law professor at the University of Chicago’s Law School.
“A ‘prepackaged’ bankruptcy is one where you line up your agreements with parties ahead of time, but that’s not something you can do in this case because there are too many parties involved,” he said. “So what you’re likely to have is a ‘prearranged’ form of bankruptcy. One in which you go into bankruptcy with a plan and you cram it down on the separate parties.”
Executives at General Motors and Chrysler are speeding to put in place workable plans to restore their faltering businesses. But this may be one race they are unlikely to win.
On Monday, President Obama said the turnaround plans that the two automakers presented to Congress earlier this year hadn’t gone far enough. He gave them one last chance to turn their operations around, raising the threat that he might force GM into a quick, managed bankruptcy if that proves to be the fastest way to restore it to health.
Obama’s measures were drastic. Chrysler received financing for 30 days to complete a partnership with Italian automaker Fiat, after which the government will no longer continue to fund it. GM got 60 days worth of funds to revise its turnaround plan. Despite the tough deadlines, some form of managed bankruptcy now looks like the most probable option for GM, analysts say. And it’s a move that could have a slew of side effects, not least of which would be lower confidence in GM’s products.
“I never thought I’d hear myself say a GM bankruptcy is likely, but I’m saying it now,” said John Wolkonowicz, a senior auto industry analyst with IHS Global Insight. “I think the list of requirements that the government is giving GM means a structured, quickie bankruptcy is almost assured because I don’t think they can accomplish what the government wants them to get done in 60 days.”
With a June 1 deadline to accomplish changes sought by the government, GM’s new CEO Fritz Henderson said Tuesday more of its plants could close and it is likely to offer another buyout program to workers as it looks to cut labor costs. Henderson also said that although GM would prefer not to use bankruptcy protection to save itself, it is “certainly more probable” than in the past.
GM and Chrysler have spent months paring their vehicle production levels, closing plants and shrinking their workforces. But their biggest challenges have been trying to secure ample labor cost concessions from the United Auto Workers union and persuading reluctant bondholders to accept unfavorable terms on the debt GM wants them to swap for equity in the company.
These matters remain unresolved. And although the Obama administration has said bankruptcy is not favored or certain, the feeling among many industry observers is a managed bankruptcy may be the only way to force through these necessary changes. Generally speaking, bankruptcy would break onerous union contracts and force the bondholders to accept less favorable terms.
A bankruptcy for GM won’t be a bankruptcy in the true sense of the word. Under a traditional Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, GM would gain the “breathing room” to work out its affairs and implement a new business plan. That course of action has been commonly rejected because it could prove lengthy and would likely drive car consumers away from the automakers’ brands.
An alternative course of action suggested by some proponents of letting GM go into receivership is what’s known as a “prepackaged” bankruptcy — one in which a company prepares its reorganization in cooperation with its creditors and implements it as soon as it enters bankruptcy.
But given the automaker’s inability to negotiate concessions from creditors and the union to date, a prepackaged bankruptcy no longer looks like an option, said Douglas Baird, a law professor at the University of Chicago’s Law School.
“A ‘prepackaged’ bankruptcy is one where you line up your agreements with parties ahead of time, but that’s not something you can do in this case because there are too many parties involved,” he said. “So what you’re likely to have is a ‘prearranged’ form of bankruptcy. One in which you go into bankruptcy with a plan and you cram it down on the separate parties.”
Monday, March 30, 2009
Review: 2010 Ford Fusion
Rating: 9.4
Bottom Line:
Three years ago, Ford introduced the intelligently sized Fusion with a classy chassis but mediocre engines and trim. Now it has finished the job with sharp design details, powerful engines and world-class features, especially electronics.
Pros:
* Leading fuel economy
* Under-hood zing; sharp handling
* “Star Wars” electronics
Cons:
* Primary instruments colors
* That’s some grille
* Great car, dead market
Ford hasn’t taken taxpayers’ bailout money yet, and one look at the soon-to-arrive 2010 Fusion says why. A thorough rework of the 2006 model, the latest midsize Ford builds on the excellent Fusion chassis, adding fresh, hard-hitting powertrains, a wisely updated interior, cutting-edge electronic options and sporty new trim. There’s also a superb new Fusion Hybrid. All in all, the new Fusion line delivers on Ford’s promise to build a world-class midsize sedan.
Trim Choices
Starting this spring, the 2010 Fusion hits blue-oval showrooms in four trim levels: S, SE, V-6 SEL and the V6 Sport, which is actually its own model. All are 4-door sedans sharing sleeker lighting, a larger 3-bar grille and a streamlined rear treatment. To varying degrees, they are bolder to state their increased technology and greater fun-to-drive quotient.
The entry-level S is a straight 4-cylinder front-wheel-drive car. Ditto the well-equipped SE, except it offers a 3.0-liter V6 option, while the fully laden SEL is available in 4-cylinder or V6 guise, and offers optional all-wheel drive. Only the Sport boasts the larger 3.5-liter V6.
Comfortable describes the S trim. Seating is manual with cloth upholstery, and the seat structures have been upgraded for good support. Power door locks and mirrors are standard, as is a slick tilt and telescoping steering wheel, front and side-curtain airbags, seat belt pre-tensioners and an MP3 4-speaker sound system. The base Fusion includes speed-sensitive wipers, a rear window defroster, a rear center armrest, a one-touch driver’s window and a 6-speed manual transmission. Standard tires are P205/60VR-16 blackwalls.
Major trim upgrades in the SE are a 6-way power driver’s seat, 6-speaker sound, SIRIUS Satellite Radio and 17-inch wheels. The 3.0-liter V6 is also optional, as is a 6-speed automatic transmission.
Leather trim and all-power seating set the tone in the SEL. Puddle lights, dual-zone climate control and mood lighting are other clues to its luxurious nature. The SEL rolls on 225/50VR-17 all-season radials.
Sport buyers also enjoy leather luxury, extra chrome exterior accents, 18-inch aluminum wheels and 225/45VR-18 tires. But the main attractions are its sport-tuned suspension and the big 263-horsepower 3.5-liter V6 engine.
Under the Hood
Impressive mechanicals give the Fusion newfound thrust and economy. Both the manual and automatic transmissions are now 6-speeds — key to the Fusion’s combined power and economy gains. The three engines — a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder, plus the 3.0 and 3.5-liter V6s — are upgrades of existing Ford mills. All boast twin, variable camshafts, and the two smaller engines have four valves per cylinder. Numerous detail developments, such as electric power steering and crafty cam timing phasers, make these engines smoother, quieter and more efficient.
Gaining 14 horsepower and 16 lb-ft of torque from last year’s 2.3-liter engine, the 175 horsepower 2.5-liter kicks the base Fusion into the traffic mainstream while the 3.0-liter engine is up 19 horses and 23 lb-ft of torque to post a healthy 240 ponies. New to the Fusion, the Sport’s 3.5-liter engine offers 263 horsepower and 249 lb-ft of torque.
Even better, all Fusion engines run on regular gasoline. Official Environmental Protection Agency mileage estimates were not available at press time, but the 2.5-liter engine has gained 10 percent fuel economy, or our estimate of 22 city/30 highway. Likewise, the 3.0-liter engine should see 20 city/28 highway; the 3.5-liter engine a tick less. All significantly better than the Japanese competition.
All-wheel drive is available with the V6s only in the SEL and Sport. Also, the Sport is an automatic-only model.
Inner Space
Smartly upscale and tech savvy is where Ford took the Fusion interior, going all the way to the dash support structure to achieve the sophisticated shapes and mounting points they desired. Likewise, the seats are more supportive, with softer trim and contrast stitching on up-market versions. Themes vary with the trim level — the SEL offering a touch of wood, the Sport being more anodized, for example.
All Fusions wear a new backlit instrument cluster. It’s easy to read, but the colors seem enthusiastically vibrant in contrast to the more elegant dash treatment.
Where Ford truly leapfrogged the competition is electronically. Naturally, there is Sync, Ford’s voice-activated communications and entertainment connectivity suite (which uses technology built by Microsoft, MSN’s parent company), but it now also includes automated 911 calls or the ability to phone home to Dearborn, Mich., to report on the vehicle’s health. Other options include voice-activated navigation in conjunction with an 8-inch touch-screen; SIRIUS Travel Link for real-time weather and traffic; a reverse camera; customizable interior accent lighting; and a radar-operated Blind Spot Information System. Active while backing, the BLIS calls out vehicle traffic within 65 feet, just the thing to spot parking-lot Grand Prix artists before they tag your quarter panel.
On the Road
In 2.5-liter form, the 2010 Fusion is light, spunky and quick to please. With less weight over the front tires, the 4-cylinder models maximize the Fusion’s excellent chassis. The electrically assisted steering is direct and intuitive, especially for a front-wheel-drive car, and the balanced handling is a highlight. The only limit is the lack of performance tires.
We especially enjoyed the low-effort and precise manual transmission. Acceleration was good through the midrange, trailing off only as the engine approached its lofty redline with something of an industrial busyness. Driven typically, the 4-cylinder is quiet and could well be our powertrain favorite. Ford expects 70 percent of Fusion sales to be 2.5-liters.
No 3.0-liter V6 cars were at Ford’s press intro, but our time in the 3.5-liter Sport demonstrated ample, torquey thrust that was especially easy to use in real-world driving. Its Select Shift automatic transmission was sportier than expected, but those looking for a pure sports sedan experience a la the long-departed Taurus SHO will find the Sport agreeable but tending too much toward luxury to be wholly satisfying. The same is true of the AWD option; it’s a godsend in poor weather, but weighty the rest of the time.
Kudos, too, for the long telescoping steering column distance and ample legroom; the Fusion puts its midsize dimensions to full use in accommodating larger people.
Is it Right for You?
Ford clearly has a winner in the Fusion. It’s been driving circles around its vaunted competition in the crowded midsize market in handling, and will now do the same in power and fuel economy, too. Fusion quality is also top-rated in consumer surveys, and the pricing is competitive. At $19,270 the Fusion S competes with economy cars, followed by the 4-cylinder SE at $20,545 and SEL at $23,975. Expect approximately $25,000 for the 3.0-liter SEL, and a larger jump to $27,435 for the AWD V6 SEL. Fans of the V6 Sport are looking at $25,825 in 4WD and $27,675 in AWD configurations.
Bottom Line:
Three years ago, Ford introduced the intelligently sized Fusion with a classy chassis but mediocre engines and trim. Now it has finished the job with sharp design details, powerful engines and world-class features, especially electronics.
Pros:
* Leading fuel economy
* Under-hood zing; sharp handling
* “Star Wars” electronics
Cons:
* Primary instruments colors
* That’s some grille
* Great car, dead market
Ford hasn’t taken taxpayers’ bailout money yet, and one look at the soon-to-arrive 2010 Fusion says why. A thorough rework of the 2006 model, the latest midsize Ford builds on the excellent Fusion chassis, adding fresh, hard-hitting powertrains, a wisely updated interior, cutting-edge electronic options and sporty new trim. There’s also a superb new Fusion Hybrid. All in all, the new Fusion line delivers on Ford’s promise to build a world-class midsize sedan.
Trim Choices
Starting this spring, the 2010 Fusion hits blue-oval showrooms in four trim levels: S, SE, V-6 SEL and the V6 Sport, which is actually its own model. All are 4-door sedans sharing sleeker lighting, a larger 3-bar grille and a streamlined rear treatment. To varying degrees, they are bolder to state their increased technology and greater fun-to-drive quotient.
The entry-level S is a straight 4-cylinder front-wheel-drive car. Ditto the well-equipped SE, except it offers a 3.0-liter V6 option, while the fully laden SEL is available in 4-cylinder or V6 guise, and offers optional all-wheel drive. Only the Sport boasts the larger 3.5-liter V6.
Comfortable describes the S trim. Seating is manual with cloth upholstery, and the seat structures have been upgraded for good support. Power door locks and mirrors are standard, as is a slick tilt and telescoping steering wheel, front and side-curtain airbags, seat belt pre-tensioners and an MP3 4-speaker sound system. The base Fusion includes speed-sensitive wipers, a rear window defroster, a rear center armrest, a one-touch driver’s window and a 6-speed manual transmission. Standard tires are P205/60VR-16 blackwalls.
Major trim upgrades in the SE are a 6-way power driver’s seat, 6-speaker sound, SIRIUS Satellite Radio and 17-inch wheels. The 3.0-liter V6 is also optional, as is a 6-speed automatic transmission.
Leather trim and all-power seating set the tone in the SEL. Puddle lights, dual-zone climate control and mood lighting are other clues to its luxurious nature. The SEL rolls on 225/50VR-17 all-season radials.
Sport buyers also enjoy leather luxury, extra chrome exterior accents, 18-inch aluminum wheels and 225/45VR-18 tires. But the main attractions are its sport-tuned suspension and the big 263-horsepower 3.5-liter V6 engine.
Under the Hood
Impressive mechanicals give the Fusion newfound thrust and economy. Both the manual and automatic transmissions are now 6-speeds — key to the Fusion’s combined power and economy gains. The three engines — a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder, plus the 3.0 and 3.5-liter V6s — are upgrades of existing Ford mills. All boast twin, variable camshafts, and the two smaller engines have four valves per cylinder. Numerous detail developments, such as electric power steering and crafty cam timing phasers, make these engines smoother, quieter and more efficient.
Gaining 14 horsepower and 16 lb-ft of torque from last year’s 2.3-liter engine, the 175 horsepower 2.5-liter kicks the base Fusion into the traffic mainstream while the 3.0-liter engine is up 19 horses and 23 lb-ft of torque to post a healthy 240 ponies. New to the Fusion, the Sport’s 3.5-liter engine offers 263 horsepower and 249 lb-ft of torque.
Even better, all Fusion engines run on regular gasoline. Official Environmental Protection Agency mileage estimates were not available at press time, but the 2.5-liter engine has gained 10 percent fuel economy, or our estimate of 22 city/30 highway. Likewise, the 3.0-liter engine should see 20 city/28 highway; the 3.5-liter engine a tick less. All significantly better than the Japanese competition.
All-wheel drive is available with the V6s only in the SEL and Sport. Also, the Sport is an automatic-only model.
Inner Space
Smartly upscale and tech savvy is where Ford took the Fusion interior, going all the way to the dash support structure to achieve the sophisticated shapes and mounting points they desired. Likewise, the seats are more supportive, with softer trim and contrast stitching on up-market versions. Themes vary with the trim level — the SEL offering a touch of wood, the Sport being more anodized, for example.
All Fusions wear a new backlit instrument cluster. It’s easy to read, but the colors seem enthusiastically vibrant in contrast to the more elegant dash treatment.
Where Ford truly leapfrogged the competition is electronically. Naturally, there is Sync, Ford’s voice-activated communications and entertainment connectivity suite (which uses technology built by Microsoft, MSN’s parent company), but it now also includes automated 911 calls or the ability to phone home to Dearborn, Mich., to report on the vehicle’s health. Other options include voice-activated navigation in conjunction with an 8-inch touch-screen; SIRIUS Travel Link for real-time weather and traffic; a reverse camera; customizable interior accent lighting; and a radar-operated Blind Spot Information System. Active while backing, the BLIS calls out vehicle traffic within 65 feet, just the thing to spot parking-lot Grand Prix artists before they tag your quarter panel.
On the Road
In 2.5-liter form, the 2010 Fusion is light, spunky and quick to please. With less weight over the front tires, the 4-cylinder models maximize the Fusion’s excellent chassis. The electrically assisted steering is direct and intuitive, especially for a front-wheel-drive car, and the balanced handling is a highlight. The only limit is the lack of performance tires.
We especially enjoyed the low-effort and precise manual transmission. Acceleration was good through the midrange, trailing off only as the engine approached its lofty redline with something of an industrial busyness. Driven typically, the 4-cylinder is quiet and could well be our powertrain favorite. Ford expects 70 percent of Fusion sales to be 2.5-liters.
No 3.0-liter V6 cars were at Ford’s press intro, but our time in the 3.5-liter Sport demonstrated ample, torquey thrust that was especially easy to use in real-world driving. Its Select Shift automatic transmission was sportier than expected, but those looking for a pure sports sedan experience a la the long-departed Taurus SHO will find the Sport agreeable but tending too much toward luxury to be wholly satisfying. The same is true of the AWD option; it’s a godsend in poor weather, but weighty the rest of the time.
Kudos, too, for the long telescoping steering column distance and ample legroom; the Fusion puts its midsize dimensions to full use in accommodating larger people.
Is it Right for You?
Ford clearly has a winner in the Fusion. It’s been driving circles around its vaunted competition in the crowded midsize market in handling, and will now do the same in power and fuel economy, too. Fusion quality is also top-rated in consumer surveys, and the pricing is competitive. At $19,270 the Fusion S competes with economy cars, followed by the 4-cylinder SE at $20,545 and SEL at $23,975. Expect approximately $25,000 for the 3.0-liter SEL, and a larger jump to $27,435 for the AWD V6 SEL. Fans of the V6 Sport are looking at $25,825 in 4WD and $27,675 in AWD configurations.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Head-to-Head: Four Family Hybrids
How about 700 miles on a tankful? We test four hybrid family haulers that eke more miles from every gallon.
Like the price of sea bass on the restaurant menu, the cost of gas has become wildly unpredictable. As this comparison convoy of four family-size hybrids slipped past a station near our headquarters in Ann Arbor, Michigan, we noticed the posted price of regular had dropped to $1.78.
No worries, momma. Good thing nobody called on the ad to sell your Tahoe.
Hybrids get more compelling, of course, when gas zooms past four bucks a gallon. But that price will be just a sweet summer memory if Ahmadinejad busts a nuke over Tel Aviv. Closer to home, and more likely to happen short-term, Obama campaigned on a promise to cap and trade carbon, which is guaranteed to put gas prices on the up elevator. So we think hybrids are worth your consideration even if gas has gotten cheaper as you read this.
A little background: The mainstream media has recently been foaming all over itself about "plug-in hybrids," a new category of someday cars that has replaced the hydrogen fuel-cell cars that were to happen someday in the foamings of a few years ago.
At least plug-in hybrids are technically more feasible than fuel cells. But whether they can soon be brought to market profitably and affordably is an open question.
The four hybrids here are readily available and run entirely on gasoline. They just run farther on each gallon than conventional cars. They do it without power cords. In fact, they are very much like normal cars except that the engines usually shut off when the cars stop moving.
That said, there are substantial differences among the hybrids within this group. The Chevrolet Malibu is what engineers call a "mild hybrid." Added to its entirely conventional powertrain is a belt-driven motor-generator, this to capture a small share of the energy that would normally be wasted as heat in the brakes, then that energy is fed back into the drive system as needed for engine starting and acceleration. The reclaimed energy is stored in a relatively small nickel-metal hydride (Ni-MH) battery until needed. This type of hybrid cannot move the car without running the engine.
The potential fuel savings are small with a mild hybrid. If the added cost is similarly small, it could be a good buy. We'll see.
The three other cars here are state-of-the-art fuel savers capable of moving at city-traffic speeds for a few blocks or more without running the engine, depending upon speed, slope, and, of course, the battery's state of charge. These hybrids reach beyond regeneration (capturing "braking" energy) to give the fuel-burning engine a new assignment: It becomes an auxiliary power unit, called upon only when a computer decides that burning fuel is the most efficient way to propel the car.
Toyota has been the world leader in this style of hybrid, and the Camry operates very much like the now-famous Prius, albeit with upsized components appropriate to the dimensions and weight of this much larger sedan. For its Altima Hybrid, Nissan licensed Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive technology, so the Camry and Altima operate similarly, even though each relies on the automaker's own engine.
While Toyota wears the hybrid halo, Ford mostly got yawns for the hybrid system it introduced in the 2005 Escape SUV, even though it was a full hybrid capable of Prius-like engine-off propulsion. Now, five model years later, the latest evolution of Ford's hybrid thinking appears in the 2010 Fusion.
Never mind the high price of sea bass and the low price of gas, this calls for a comparison test. Which of these four carmakers builds the best family-hauling four-door hybrid?
* Compare Specs: Four Family Hybrids
2009 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid Sedan (© General Motors)
Fourth Place: Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid
A warning light comes on when you read through the comment log of this hybrid and find many compliments to the stylists, none to the engineers. As hybrids go, this is weak tea. Not that we're categorically against mild hybrids. The goal is laudable — gain more in fuel efficiency than you shell out in cost.
But against state-of-the-art hybrids, the Malibu, at its present state of development, seems like too little too late. It was the tail ender in all of our mileage tests, showing especially badly in urban driving — only 19.8 mpg, 12.4 mpg behind the third-best Altima, 17.1 mpg behind the frugal Fusion.
Hybrids make only minor gains on high-speed interstates, so the Malibu deficit was relatively small on that test, 29.9 mpg compared with the pack-leading Camry at 34.8 mpg. In our overall-mileage summation, the Malibu rounds up to 29 mpg, the only hybrid in this group under 30 mpg.
The emotional satisfaction that comes from driving a special-purpose car is completely missing in the Malibu because it's not discernibly special. The engine shuts down when you brake to a halt, then restarts with inappropriate violence when you lift off the brake pedal. The dash has an abstract gauge to the right side of the cluster with a needle that wavers between charging the battery and assisting the engine, but this simply reflects whether you are decelerating or accelerating — and you know that without looking at a meter. The word "ECO" occasionally glows in green letters in this dial, too, probably good news but too cryptic to be rewarding.
Otherwise, the Malibu shifts through its conventional four-speed automatic in conventional fashion and responds oddly to accelerator commands as the electric assist fades in and out according to an unseen commander. The controls feel abrupt in urban driving and crude compared with the polished nature of the Camry and the Fusion.
The Malibu manages the dubious honor of last place in both fuel economy and acceleration. It eases to 60 mph in 9.2 seconds, 2.1 seconds behind the hustling Altima.
As a people hauler, we rated rear-seat comfort in the bottom half of the class: quite tight on the shoulders for three adults, tight on the instep, too, although foot space is otherwise generous. Because mild hybrids can get by with a small traction battery, the Malibu is the only one of the group to retain the full, fold-forward rear seatback of the nonhybrid models. The battery fits in the customary hybrid place, on the trunk floor just behind the seat, but the top of it is low and fully enclosed in a black plastic housing, allowing long objects to rest atop as they extend into the rear-passenger area.
The as-tested price of this hybrid Malibu is $26,575, by far the lowest of the group, but with cloth seats, no sunroof, and a weight-saving can of tire inflator instead of an honest spare tire, it doesn't seem like a wise way to spend $3950 more than a base Malibu to save a minor amount of fuel. GM says there's "very limited availability" of this model. Very limited demand, too, we predict.
2009 Nissan Altima Hybrid (© Nissan North America)
Third Place: Nissan Altima Hybrid
Whether we're comparing conventionally powered versions or hybrids in this class of family four-doors, the Altima always anchors the zesty end of the range — eager, quick, and rowdy. This hybrid really specializes in test-track numbers.
Zero to 60 is hardly the most important focus of a gas saver, but the Altima delivers anyway, rushing ahead of the others to arrive in 7.1 seconds on the way to the best quarter-mile finish of 15.6 seconds at 91 mph.
Moving on to the main event, in overall-trip fuel economy, the Altima squeaked ahead of the Camry by a slim 0.3 mpg, which allowed it to round up to 32 mpg while the Camry rounded down to 31. In real-world fuel efficiency, these two are about as close as two competitors can be, as you will see when you balance overall mileage against the narrow-focus rural-, highway-, and city-loop mileage results as recorded by each car's onboard mpg meter [see Fuel Economy chart]. Here, the Toyota out-frugaled the Nissan every time. That said, we're most suspicious of the Camry's trip computer because, unlike the others, our calculated, 300-mile average was considerably lower than the results of the individual loops reported by the computer.
While these fuel-economy numbers are close enough for the two models to share the same underwear, their personalities are far apart. The Altima engine is relatively loud and rough, it wakes up from battery propulsion with a jolt, and the system broadcasts a loud whine when you move away from a stop under electric power. The controls are troubling, too, amped up to the point where it's hard to be smooth with them. Brake-pedal force has annoying variations, perhaps due to regen considerations beyond the driver's knowing. The too-quick accelerator is particularly annoying: When you're feather-footing down the street trying to stretch engine-off distance, the smallest twitch starts the burner. Amidst the various tire, wind, road-impact, and drivetrain noises that accompany a moving car, it's not always clear if the engine is running or not, save for a glance low on the cluster to an orange rectangle enclosing the words "EV MODE." If you see it, you're cruising on your electrical savings account.
Possibly some owners just want better mpg numbers and don't care to be involved in the process of achieving them. But "Driver" is our last name, and we enjoy pushing the hybrid's envelope of possibilities. The test car, equipped with the nav option, has dedicated screens showing which components of the drivetrain are operating at any given time. It also discloses the battery's state of charge and energy flow. But none of this breaks new ground, and some of the screens are strangely abstracted — neon pipes for power flow rather than shafts, gears, and wires, for example. Some of our drivers dissented loudly.
This is an agile, frisky car but not a refined player.
In a category where weight reduction is especially important — one of the cars in our comparison gave up its spare tire at least in part to reduce weight — why does the lightest-in-test Altima burden itself with the extra plumbing required for dual exhaust outlets? It's sportswear, we're guessing, and it's a signal that Nissan thinks and acts differently than Toyota, even as they share a hybrid system.
2009 Toyota Camry Hybrid (© Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A.)
Second Place: Toyota Camry Hybrid
This Camry is impeccably mannered and supremely confident in the rightness of its way. It sets the upper limits for smoothness, refinement, and maybe even purity of purpose. No gimmicks, no come-ons, no entertainment for drivers who like to play. Smiles are okay, but don't let word of them get back to the engineering department.
Our opinions on Toyotas are divided, in general, and most certainly on this car. Those of us who know how difficult it is to achieve perfection love the Camry. The accelerator gain is so linear and gradual that you can squeeze on torque in increments as thin as paint. The flawless smoothness of brake actuation convincingly denies that regen and friction brakes hate to share the task of retardation. The engine discreetly comes alive to pick up the load of propulsion when the electrical side of the drivetrain can no longer keep up with demand. Everything happens seamlessly, as in an expertly conducted symphony.
Still, there is another contingent that insists on motoring verve. And they are disappointed. If you hold your mind just so, the hybrid Camry seems to be an old man's car, so viscous as it moves off the mark, so isolated from the pavement, so uncommunicative about its management of BTUs and kilowatts and g's.
And yet, for those who conspire to slip through streets and alleys in silence, keeping the current flowing and the burner off, the Camry is such a happy accomplice. Without the optional nav, the dash tells you very little about the machinery below, but the controls seem to tell all. As with a favorite dancing partner, nothing needs to be said, it just happens. The power comes on in a deliberate way, measured, unrushed.
That means no neck-snapping downshifts accompanied by Shop-Vac sucking sounds, yet the electrical assist gives real muscles to all of these hybrids. They gather up and pass quickly on the two-lanes. For example, this silky-silent Camry sprints from 30 to 50 mph in 4.0 seconds and 50 to 70 in 5.1, improving on the nonhybrid Camry's marks by 0.3 and 1.0 second, respectively.
Putting aside the hybrid part, the Camry's people accommodations are top-notch. The test car, optioned up to almost five large from its $26,870 base, was lined in exquisitely soft gray-green leather pulled smooth over subtly sculpted padding. The front buckets give plenty of side restraint without feeling like confinement devices. The shape of the rear bench seat was exactly right to cosset adults on all-day journeys, earning top marks in this category. A thoughtful detail adds cargo flexibility, too. The traction battery has much more capacity than the Malibu's, yet the vertical dimension has been pulled down just enough to open a useful passage on the right side of the trunk into the back-seat space, perfect for transporting those tournament-length zucchini.
One thing happens in the Camry that we find annoying. The mpg meter resets whenever the tank is filled, a cowardly way to avoid long-term accounting for hybrid benefits or lack of same. In fact, this Toyota has nothing to hide.
2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid (© Ford Motor Company)
First Place: Ford Fusion Hybrid
Ford has pulled off a game changer with this 2010 model, creating a high-mpg family hauler that's fun to drive. That achievement has two components: First, the machinery is unexpectedly refined — call it Toyota slickness expressed with car-guy soul. Second, the electronic instrument cluster involves the driver, invites you into the hybrid game, and gives you the feedback needed to keep increasing your personal-best mpg number.
Or you can say the heck with it and opt for a minimum-distraction display that shows little beyond the speedo.
No matter which you ultimately choose, you're welcomed to the game with green grass and blue sky, a dashboard notion so corny we would groan if it weren't so vividly executed. Hybrid enthusiasts will select the expert screen. All eyes sweep to the power grouping that shows the level of battery charge beside two columns of discharge meters, one for power consumed to propel the vehicle, the other a sum of all accessory loads (lights, fans, air conditioning, stereo, etc.).
How far can you go without the engine? That's the game. Easy on the accessory loads, of course, but whenever you're moving, the propulsion meter gives you an EV bracket. Keep your propulsion power within the EV bracket by modulating the "gas" and you'll drive on the battery, up to 47 mph under ideal circumstances. Call it a video game to go.
Under normal driving, the engine starts and stops far more often than in the other hybrids. It comes and goes stealthily. Your wife won't notice, and you probably won't, either, unless you're really into the hybrid game.
Nothing about the leather-lined test car, optioned up from its $27,995 base price to $32,555, seemed economy minded except for the mileage readings. On that score, the Fusion topped the others, turning in a 34-mpg score card for the overall 300-mile test run. It also finished highest in two of the three specialized tests, with a 34.3-mpg mark on the rural loop and 36.9 mpg on the city loop. Official EPA fuel-economy numbers are 41 mpg city, 36 mpg highway, roughly 720 city miles between fill-ups. For a four-door with civilized room for five, that's a standing-O achievement.
Though the Fusion gets out-hustled by the Altima and the Camry — at 3805 pounds, the Ford is the heaviest of the four — we think 8.5 seconds to 60 mph is just fine considering the fuel economy. All of these players were too tightly grouped in braking and roadholding to draw significant distinctions, but for the record, the Fusion did tie with the Altima at 0.80 g for top marks on the skidpad. The suspension feels nicely taut, well planted. The tires communicate more than the Camry's and speak in tones more refined than the Altima's.
As in the Altima and the Camry, the power delivery of the Fusion's CVT is hard to hold steady in cruising conditions. The test logs include many comments about "surging." Engaging the cruise control deals with it every time.
Ford really hit all the marks with this hybrid Fusion, combining excellent fuel economy with slick manners and an engrossing personality. Fun and fuel economy have finally gotten married in a mid-size sedan.
Like the price of sea bass on the restaurant menu, the cost of gas has become wildly unpredictable. As this comparison convoy of four family-size hybrids slipped past a station near our headquarters in Ann Arbor, Michigan, we noticed the posted price of regular had dropped to $1.78.
No worries, momma. Good thing nobody called on the ad to sell your Tahoe.
Hybrids get more compelling, of course, when gas zooms past four bucks a gallon. But that price will be just a sweet summer memory if Ahmadinejad busts a nuke over Tel Aviv. Closer to home, and more likely to happen short-term, Obama campaigned on a promise to cap and trade carbon, which is guaranteed to put gas prices on the up elevator. So we think hybrids are worth your consideration even if gas has gotten cheaper as you read this.
A little background: The mainstream media has recently been foaming all over itself about "plug-in hybrids," a new category of someday cars that has replaced the hydrogen fuel-cell cars that were to happen someday in the foamings of a few years ago.
At least plug-in hybrids are technically more feasible than fuel cells. But whether they can soon be brought to market profitably and affordably is an open question.
The four hybrids here are readily available and run entirely on gasoline. They just run farther on each gallon than conventional cars. They do it without power cords. In fact, they are very much like normal cars except that the engines usually shut off when the cars stop moving.
That said, there are substantial differences among the hybrids within this group. The Chevrolet Malibu is what engineers call a "mild hybrid." Added to its entirely conventional powertrain is a belt-driven motor-generator, this to capture a small share of the energy that would normally be wasted as heat in the brakes, then that energy is fed back into the drive system as needed for engine starting and acceleration. The reclaimed energy is stored in a relatively small nickel-metal hydride (Ni-MH) battery until needed. This type of hybrid cannot move the car without running the engine.
The potential fuel savings are small with a mild hybrid. If the added cost is similarly small, it could be a good buy. We'll see.
The three other cars here are state-of-the-art fuel savers capable of moving at city-traffic speeds for a few blocks or more without running the engine, depending upon speed, slope, and, of course, the battery's state of charge. These hybrids reach beyond regeneration (capturing "braking" energy) to give the fuel-burning engine a new assignment: It becomes an auxiliary power unit, called upon only when a computer decides that burning fuel is the most efficient way to propel the car.
Toyota has been the world leader in this style of hybrid, and the Camry operates very much like the now-famous Prius, albeit with upsized components appropriate to the dimensions and weight of this much larger sedan. For its Altima Hybrid, Nissan licensed Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive technology, so the Camry and Altima operate similarly, even though each relies on the automaker's own engine.
While Toyota wears the hybrid halo, Ford mostly got yawns for the hybrid system it introduced in the 2005 Escape SUV, even though it was a full hybrid capable of Prius-like engine-off propulsion. Now, five model years later, the latest evolution of Ford's hybrid thinking appears in the 2010 Fusion.
Never mind the high price of sea bass and the low price of gas, this calls for a comparison test. Which of these four carmakers builds the best family-hauling four-door hybrid?
* Compare Specs: Four Family Hybrids
2009 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid Sedan (© General Motors)
Fourth Place: Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid
A warning light comes on when you read through the comment log of this hybrid and find many compliments to the stylists, none to the engineers. As hybrids go, this is weak tea. Not that we're categorically against mild hybrids. The goal is laudable — gain more in fuel efficiency than you shell out in cost.
But against state-of-the-art hybrids, the Malibu, at its present state of development, seems like too little too late. It was the tail ender in all of our mileage tests, showing especially badly in urban driving — only 19.8 mpg, 12.4 mpg behind the third-best Altima, 17.1 mpg behind the frugal Fusion.
Hybrids make only minor gains on high-speed interstates, so the Malibu deficit was relatively small on that test, 29.9 mpg compared with the pack-leading Camry at 34.8 mpg. In our overall-mileage summation, the Malibu rounds up to 29 mpg, the only hybrid in this group under 30 mpg.
The emotional satisfaction that comes from driving a special-purpose car is completely missing in the Malibu because it's not discernibly special. The engine shuts down when you brake to a halt, then restarts with inappropriate violence when you lift off the brake pedal. The dash has an abstract gauge to the right side of the cluster with a needle that wavers between charging the battery and assisting the engine, but this simply reflects whether you are decelerating or accelerating — and you know that without looking at a meter. The word "ECO" occasionally glows in green letters in this dial, too, probably good news but too cryptic to be rewarding.
Otherwise, the Malibu shifts through its conventional four-speed automatic in conventional fashion and responds oddly to accelerator commands as the electric assist fades in and out according to an unseen commander. The controls feel abrupt in urban driving and crude compared with the polished nature of the Camry and the Fusion.
The Malibu manages the dubious honor of last place in both fuel economy and acceleration. It eases to 60 mph in 9.2 seconds, 2.1 seconds behind the hustling Altima.
As a people hauler, we rated rear-seat comfort in the bottom half of the class: quite tight on the shoulders for three adults, tight on the instep, too, although foot space is otherwise generous. Because mild hybrids can get by with a small traction battery, the Malibu is the only one of the group to retain the full, fold-forward rear seatback of the nonhybrid models. The battery fits in the customary hybrid place, on the trunk floor just behind the seat, but the top of it is low and fully enclosed in a black plastic housing, allowing long objects to rest atop as they extend into the rear-passenger area.
The as-tested price of this hybrid Malibu is $26,575, by far the lowest of the group, but with cloth seats, no sunroof, and a weight-saving can of tire inflator instead of an honest spare tire, it doesn't seem like a wise way to spend $3950 more than a base Malibu to save a minor amount of fuel. GM says there's "very limited availability" of this model. Very limited demand, too, we predict.
2009 Nissan Altima Hybrid (© Nissan North America)
Third Place: Nissan Altima Hybrid
Whether we're comparing conventionally powered versions or hybrids in this class of family four-doors, the Altima always anchors the zesty end of the range — eager, quick, and rowdy. This hybrid really specializes in test-track numbers.
Zero to 60 is hardly the most important focus of a gas saver, but the Altima delivers anyway, rushing ahead of the others to arrive in 7.1 seconds on the way to the best quarter-mile finish of 15.6 seconds at 91 mph.
Moving on to the main event, in overall-trip fuel economy, the Altima squeaked ahead of the Camry by a slim 0.3 mpg, which allowed it to round up to 32 mpg while the Camry rounded down to 31. In real-world fuel efficiency, these two are about as close as two competitors can be, as you will see when you balance overall mileage against the narrow-focus rural-, highway-, and city-loop mileage results as recorded by each car's onboard mpg meter [see Fuel Economy chart]. Here, the Toyota out-frugaled the Nissan every time. That said, we're most suspicious of the Camry's trip computer because, unlike the others, our calculated, 300-mile average was considerably lower than the results of the individual loops reported by the computer.
While these fuel-economy numbers are close enough for the two models to share the same underwear, their personalities are far apart. The Altima engine is relatively loud and rough, it wakes up from battery propulsion with a jolt, and the system broadcasts a loud whine when you move away from a stop under electric power. The controls are troubling, too, amped up to the point where it's hard to be smooth with them. Brake-pedal force has annoying variations, perhaps due to regen considerations beyond the driver's knowing. The too-quick accelerator is particularly annoying: When you're feather-footing down the street trying to stretch engine-off distance, the smallest twitch starts the burner. Amidst the various tire, wind, road-impact, and drivetrain noises that accompany a moving car, it's not always clear if the engine is running or not, save for a glance low on the cluster to an orange rectangle enclosing the words "EV MODE." If you see it, you're cruising on your electrical savings account.
Possibly some owners just want better mpg numbers and don't care to be involved in the process of achieving them. But "Driver" is our last name, and we enjoy pushing the hybrid's envelope of possibilities. The test car, equipped with the nav option, has dedicated screens showing which components of the drivetrain are operating at any given time. It also discloses the battery's state of charge and energy flow. But none of this breaks new ground, and some of the screens are strangely abstracted — neon pipes for power flow rather than shafts, gears, and wires, for example. Some of our drivers dissented loudly.
This is an agile, frisky car but not a refined player.
In a category where weight reduction is especially important — one of the cars in our comparison gave up its spare tire at least in part to reduce weight — why does the lightest-in-test Altima burden itself with the extra plumbing required for dual exhaust outlets? It's sportswear, we're guessing, and it's a signal that Nissan thinks and acts differently than Toyota, even as they share a hybrid system.
2009 Toyota Camry Hybrid (© Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A.)
Second Place: Toyota Camry Hybrid
This Camry is impeccably mannered and supremely confident in the rightness of its way. It sets the upper limits for smoothness, refinement, and maybe even purity of purpose. No gimmicks, no come-ons, no entertainment for drivers who like to play. Smiles are okay, but don't let word of them get back to the engineering department.
Our opinions on Toyotas are divided, in general, and most certainly on this car. Those of us who know how difficult it is to achieve perfection love the Camry. The accelerator gain is so linear and gradual that you can squeeze on torque in increments as thin as paint. The flawless smoothness of brake actuation convincingly denies that regen and friction brakes hate to share the task of retardation. The engine discreetly comes alive to pick up the load of propulsion when the electrical side of the drivetrain can no longer keep up with demand. Everything happens seamlessly, as in an expertly conducted symphony.
Still, there is another contingent that insists on motoring verve. And they are disappointed. If you hold your mind just so, the hybrid Camry seems to be an old man's car, so viscous as it moves off the mark, so isolated from the pavement, so uncommunicative about its management of BTUs and kilowatts and g's.
And yet, for those who conspire to slip through streets and alleys in silence, keeping the current flowing and the burner off, the Camry is such a happy accomplice. Without the optional nav, the dash tells you very little about the machinery below, but the controls seem to tell all. As with a favorite dancing partner, nothing needs to be said, it just happens. The power comes on in a deliberate way, measured, unrushed.
That means no neck-snapping downshifts accompanied by Shop-Vac sucking sounds, yet the electrical assist gives real muscles to all of these hybrids. They gather up and pass quickly on the two-lanes. For example, this silky-silent Camry sprints from 30 to 50 mph in 4.0 seconds and 50 to 70 in 5.1, improving on the nonhybrid Camry's marks by 0.3 and 1.0 second, respectively.
Putting aside the hybrid part, the Camry's people accommodations are top-notch. The test car, optioned up to almost five large from its $26,870 base, was lined in exquisitely soft gray-green leather pulled smooth over subtly sculpted padding. The front buckets give plenty of side restraint without feeling like confinement devices. The shape of the rear bench seat was exactly right to cosset adults on all-day journeys, earning top marks in this category. A thoughtful detail adds cargo flexibility, too. The traction battery has much more capacity than the Malibu's, yet the vertical dimension has been pulled down just enough to open a useful passage on the right side of the trunk into the back-seat space, perfect for transporting those tournament-length zucchini.
One thing happens in the Camry that we find annoying. The mpg meter resets whenever the tank is filled, a cowardly way to avoid long-term accounting for hybrid benefits or lack of same. In fact, this Toyota has nothing to hide.
2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid (© Ford Motor Company)
First Place: Ford Fusion Hybrid
Ford has pulled off a game changer with this 2010 model, creating a high-mpg family hauler that's fun to drive. That achievement has two components: First, the machinery is unexpectedly refined — call it Toyota slickness expressed with car-guy soul. Second, the electronic instrument cluster involves the driver, invites you into the hybrid game, and gives you the feedback needed to keep increasing your personal-best mpg number.
Or you can say the heck with it and opt for a minimum-distraction display that shows little beyond the speedo.
No matter which you ultimately choose, you're welcomed to the game with green grass and blue sky, a dashboard notion so corny we would groan if it weren't so vividly executed. Hybrid enthusiasts will select the expert screen. All eyes sweep to the power grouping that shows the level of battery charge beside two columns of discharge meters, one for power consumed to propel the vehicle, the other a sum of all accessory loads (lights, fans, air conditioning, stereo, etc.).
How far can you go without the engine? That's the game. Easy on the accessory loads, of course, but whenever you're moving, the propulsion meter gives you an EV bracket. Keep your propulsion power within the EV bracket by modulating the "gas" and you'll drive on the battery, up to 47 mph under ideal circumstances. Call it a video game to go.
Under normal driving, the engine starts and stops far more often than in the other hybrids. It comes and goes stealthily. Your wife won't notice, and you probably won't, either, unless you're really into the hybrid game.
Nothing about the leather-lined test car, optioned up from its $27,995 base price to $32,555, seemed economy minded except for the mileage readings. On that score, the Fusion topped the others, turning in a 34-mpg score card for the overall 300-mile test run. It also finished highest in two of the three specialized tests, with a 34.3-mpg mark on the rural loop and 36.9 mpg on the city loop. Official EPA fuel-economy numbers are 41 mpg city, 36 mpg highway, roughly 720 city miles between fill-ups. For a four-door with civilized room for five, that's a standing-O achievement.
Though the Fusion gets out-hustled by the Altima and the Camry — at 3805 pounds, the Ford is the heaviest of the four — we think 8.5 seconds to 60 mph is just fine considering the fuel economy. All of these players were too tightly grouped in braking and roadholding to draw significant distinctions, but for the record, the Fusion did tie with the Altima at 0.80 g for top marks on the skidpad. The suspension feels nicely taut, well planted. The tires communicate more than the Camry's and speak in tones more refined than the Altima's.
As in the Altima and the Camry, the power delivery of the Fusion's CVT is hard to hold steady in cruising conditions. The test logs include many comments about "surging." Engaging the cruise control deals with it every time.
Ford really hit all the marks with this hybrid Fusion, combining excellent fuel economy with slick manners and an engrossing personality. Fun and fuel economy have finally gotten married in a mid-size sedan.
Exclusive CBS Video. Ford's future, Ford can survive without bailout.
To see the video go to:
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=4883754n
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=4883754n
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
2010 Ford Mustang GT Full Test. A Good Reason To Buy American
Affordable. Powerful. Rear-wheel drive.
It's what we all want: powerslides for a low monthly payment.
But with the new Hyundai Genesis coupe grabbing headlines like a publicly intoxicated Michelle Obama, Americans seem to have forgotten that it has been the Ford Mustang supplying them with that magic formula for fun for more than 40 years.
The Ford Mustang has defined affordable performance with two smoking rear tires since back when a hybrid was an Italian-bodied car powered by an American V8. You know, way back in the groovy 1960s. Even the laughable Ford Mustang II of the mid-1970s was fast for its day.
But Americans are not known for their long-term memory. Sometimes we need a little reminding. And this slate-gray 2010 Ford Mustang GT with the optional Track Pack is tire-shredding Ginko biloba.
Track Pack and the Big Bow Wow
But affordable isn't as affordable as it used to be. These days, blowing minds at the Big Bow Wow with your V8 muscle car will cost you north of $30 grand.
Base price on this 2010 Ford Mustang GT Premium is $30,995 and its MSRP with options will hit your wallet for $34,775. And it isn't even loaded (but it's close).
Performance options? Just one. The nicely named Track Pack. For $1,500 it adds a unique set of dampers, a front strut-tower brace, a shorter 3.73:1 axle ratio, a limited-slip differential, dual-piston front calipers with performance brake pads, recalibrated stability control, a set of cast-aluminum 19-inch wheels with 255/40ZR19 Pirelli P Zero summer performance tires, plus several pieces from the current Shelby GT500, including its front and rear antiroll bars, rear lower trailing links and front upper strut mounts.
As far as comfort stuff goes, this car has the Comfort Group, which includes heated front seats and six-way power adjustment for the passenger seat, a security package and the monster 10-speaker Shaker 1,000-watt audio system (which can cause bleeding). No navigation, no sunroof, although both are available. So are several different scoop and stripe options, which honestly might be worth a little extra scratch, as our very gray tester lacked a little eye candy.
Few at the Pizza City gave it a second glance, despite the fact that every body panel but the roof is new for 2010. And most of it is successful at keeping the Mustang retro instead of so last year. Positive comments we did get centered around the cool grille lights, which were a crowd favorite on the 2005-'09 model, and the new cowl-induction-style hood. The new taillights also drew some attention, but the comments weren't always flattering.
The new interior got mixed reviews as well. Only one guy thought the color-your-gauges-to-suit-your-mood isn't just dumb, but he had neon blue lights under his Evo. More than a few thought the new dash was a bit dull, and even when we told them it was ergonomically improved they didn't seem to care.
More Suspension Control, Please
Because we've driven the 2010 Mustang before, both on the street and around the racetrack at the Streets of Willow northeast of Los Angeles, we knew what to expect.
In that earlier report we complained about the new Mustang's over-boosted steering, its soft brake pedal and the way it flops around on its suspension. We wrote, "On winding canyon roads the 2010 Ford Mustang is still too big, too soft and too vague to really toss around with any measure of precision."
The Track Pack improved things, however, and we praised the additional athleticism. We wrote, "At speed on the road course at the Streets of Willow, the improvement from the Track Pack proved noticeable almost instantly. The retuned dampers do a better job of keeping the front end under control, so the initial turn toward the apex of the corner is more immediate. There's far less body roll, and the additional cornering grip allows you to push it a little harder at the limit."
But after two weeks behind the wheel of this 2010 Ford Mustang GT, we've decided that the Track Pack doesn't take things far enough. Oh, there's plenty of grip, and the Mustang has a real ability to change direction, but its suspension still dives, squats and leans far more than it needs to (Look at all that body roll in these powerslide photos. It looks like we disconnected the sway bars.), and it doesn't deal with crests or elevation changes as well as it could.
Basically the Mustang's suspension works. This car is easy to drive very quickly on a mountain road, we'd just like it to feel more precise than it does, more tied down to the road. And we still think the steering is over-boosted, although it feels better in the hills than it does in the city, and the brake pedal is still too soft.
Make It Less Friendly, Please
And then there's the Mustang's lack of attitude around town. In the city there just isn't enough edge to the drive. Everything about the 2010 Ford Mustang feels a bit sanitized for your protection. Like somebody at Ford told the engineers that the guy's wife might have to drive it, too, so make it feel...friendly.
"But it's a Mustang GT, sir, with the Track Pack," says the middle management engineer to the suit. "Shouldn't we dial it in for a real driver? The guy who knows that a steering wheel that can be turned with one finger is a bad thing?"
"You fool. Men don't buy cars anymore. Our focus groups and overpaid consultants have made it clear that we need to expand the Mustang brand's appeal deeper into the female consumer pool," retorts the suit through stale coffee breath. "Now get back to work. We've lost millions in just the time it has taken me to call you stupid."
The result is an unfulfilling experience on anything but a straight road. Pound the 2010 Ford Mustang GT into some curves and it dances, but it's up on its tippy toes and never settles down long enough for the driver to find a rhythm.
Even the powertrain, which makes plenty of thrust for those late nights at the Connecting Highway and Cross Bay Boulevard, isn't well suited for the twisties. Despite the short 3.73 gears, the soft bottom end of the 4.6-liter V8's power curve (it only starts making real power at 4,000 rpm) and the super-tall 2nd gear in the five-speed conspire to make tight corner exits unexciting unless you're attacking the road at race pace. If you're willing to commit, however, this Mustang will fly in and out of any bend. It just takes high entry speeds, aggressive turn-in and a heavy right foot to keep the revs up.
It does very well in long fast sweepers, where the suspension can take a set and lean on those sticky 19-inch Pirellis, but even on faster open roads, this Mustang will get left for dead by a more agile 2009 Nissan 370Z, although it can pull away from a larger 2009 Dodge Challenger R/T.
Track Testing
Regardless of its shortcomings, this car is fast. In fact, this is the quickest, best handling and best stopping normally aspirated Mustang we've ever tested. Plus, it lays two big patches of Italian rubber if you shift 2nd gear like you're trying to tear the shifter from the fancy new console. We like that.
Making that power is essentially the same engine package that powered the 2009 Ford Mustang Bullitt. To the same old 4.6-liter DOHC V8, Ford has added a cold-air intake plus a reprogrammed ECU that bumps the redline to 6,500 rpm. That same computer also has two different fuel programs: for regular and premium gas. Peak output is 315 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 325 pound-feet of torque at 4,250 rpm, just like the Bullitt.
When we arrived at our test track with the tank filled with premium and the traction and stability control systems off, the Mustang hit 60 mph in 5.2 seconds (4.9 seconds with 1 foot of rollout like on a drag strip), and covered the quarter-mile in 13.5 seconds at 102.9 mph. That's impressive for a car that weighs 3,572 pounds. In the slalom, this Mustang with its Track Pack hardware recorded a speed of 68.4 mph, then circled the skid pad at an eyebrow-raising 0.91g. It also stopped from 60 mph in just 107 feet.
A Good Reason To Buy American
How do those numbers compare to the performance of the rivals of the 2010 Ford Mustang GT? They kick ass.
Of course we haven't tested a new 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS yet, but the 2009 Dodge Challenger R/T isn't even close. The Mustang GT is quicker, faster and easily out-handles the Dodge. And that new Hyundai Genesis coupe everybody is swooning over? Well, the new Mustang GT out-performs it, too.
And so we've found that powerful rear-wheel-drive ride you crave. You know, the drift machine that can be bought on an hourly wage. And we've found it in red, white and blue.
Inside Line Executive Editor Michael Jordan says:
The Mustang GT is not the Shelby GT500KR. It does not have big, honkin' stripes down the middle of its hood. It does not have a supercharged 540-hp engine or tires 3 feet wide. It doesn't smoke the tires like a Pro Stock dragster, leap up in the air like KITT, or do stunt-driving tricks from some kind of lowbrow show on Speed TV. Neither does it hop, skitter, shudder, shake and otherwise perform like some kind of rabid dog. For me, this is a good thing.
Ever since the first Mustang was made out of the bits of a Ford Falcon economy car back in 1964, guys have been trying to stiffen up, snub down and pump up the hardware to create a road monster, usually with massive tires, antiroll bars as thick as your forearm and suspension with as little travel as possible. As we've learned through several generations of Mustang, the result is always more like a Falcon than a Mustang.
When you see the Mustang GT with Track Pack, don't be thinking Milan Dragway. Think Miller Motorsports Park and its spec-racer Mustang road racing series. This car has grip, it has manners thanks to a suspension calibration that's soft enough to let you know what's happening, and you can happily drive it to the store. The 4.6-liter Ford V8 likes to rev to make its power just like an old 289-cubic-inch Ford V8, the engine that Phil Remington, Carroll Shelby's ace fabricator, always said could have won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1965 with a plain old GT40 if only the Ford executives hadn't fallen in love with big-block NASCAR motors.
It's true that the Mustang GT does all things well rather than being particularly spectacular at any one thing, but that's what makes it the kind of car you can happily drive every day with no excuses. The Mustang GT is a package, not just a one-dimensional attitude.
To view pictures and a video go to: http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/FullTests/articleId=143486/pageId=162602
It's what we all want: powerslides for a low monthly payment.
But with the new Hyundai Genesis coupe grabbing headlines like a publicly intoxicated Michelle Obama, Americans seem to have forgotten that it has been the Ford Mustang supplying them with that magic formula for fun for more than 40 years.
The Ford Mustang has defined affordable performance with two smoking rear tires since back when a hybrid was an Italian-bodied car powered by an American V8. You know, way back in the groovy 1960s. Even the laughable Ford Mustang II of the mid-1970s was fast for its day.
But Americans are not known for their long-term memory. Sometimes we need a little reminding. And this slate-gray 2010 Ford Mustang GT with the optional Track Pack is tire-shredding Ginko biloba.
Track Pack and the Big Bow Wow
But affordable isn't as affordable as it used to be. These days, blowing minds at the Big Bow Wow with your V8 muscle car will cost you north of $30 grand.
Base price on this 2010 Ford Mustang GT Premium is $30,995 and its MSRP with options will hit your wallet for $34,775. And it isn't even loaded (but it's close).
Performance options? Just one. The nicely named Track Pack. For $1,500 it adds a unique set of dampers, a front strut-tower brace, a shorter 3.73:1 axle ratio, a limited-slip differential, dual-piston front calipers with performance brake pads, recalibrated stability control, a set of cast-aluminum 19-inch wheels with 255/40ZR19 Pirelli P Zero summer performance tires, plus several pieces from the current Shelby GT500, including its front and rear antiroll bars, rear lower trailing links and front upper strut mounts.
As far as comfort stuff goes, this car has the Comfort Group, which includes heated front seats and six-way power adjustment for the passenger seat, a security package and the monster 10-speaker Shaker 1,000-watt audio system (which can cause bleeding). No navigation, no sunroof, although both are available. So are several different scoop and stripe options, which honestly might be worth a little extra scratch, as our very gray tester lacked a little eye candy.
Few at the Pizza City gave it a second glance, despite the fact that every body panel but the roof is new for 2010. And most of it is successful at keeping the Mustang retro instead of so last year. Positive comments we did get centered around the cool grille lights, which were a crowd favorite on the 2005-'09 model, and the new cowl-induction-style hood. The new taillights also drew some attention, but the comments weren't always flattering.
The new interior got mixed reviews as well. Only one guy thought the color-your-gauges-to-suit-your-mood isn't just dumb, but he had neon blue lights under his Evo. More than a few thought the new dash was a bit dull, and even when we told them it was ergonomically improved they didn't seem to care.
More Suspension Control, Please
Because we've driven the 2010 Mustang before, both on the street and around the racetrack at the Streets of Willow northeast of Los Angeles, we knew what to expect.
In that earlier report we complained about the new Mustang's over-boosted steering, its soft brake pedal and the way it flops around on its suspension. We wrote, "On winding canyon roads the 2010 Ford Mustang is still too big, too soft and too vague to really toss around with any measure of precision."
The Track Pack improved things, however, and we praised the additional athleticism. We wrote, "At speed on the road course at the Streets of Willow, the improvement from the Track Pack proved noticeable almost instantly. The retuned dampers do a better job of keeping the front end under control, so the initial turn toward the apex of the corner is more immediate. There's far less body roll, and the additional cornering grip allows you to push it a little harder at the limit."
But after two weeks behind the wheel of this 2010 Ford Mustang GT, we've decided that the Track Pack doesn't take things far enough. Oh, there's plenty of grip, and the Mustang has a real ability to change direction, but its suspension still dives, squats and leans far more than it needs to (Look at all that body roll in these powerslide photos. It looks like we disconnected the sway bars.), and it doesn't deal with crests or elevation changes as well as it could.
Basically the Mustang's suspension works. This car is easy to drive very quickly on a mountain road, we'd just like it to feel more precise than it does, more tied down to the road. And we still think the steering is over-boosted, although it feels better in the hills than it does in the city, and the brake pedal is still too soft.
Make It Less Friendly, Please
And then there's the Mustang's lack of attitude around town. In the city there just isn't enough edge to the drive. Everything about the 2010 Ford Mustang feels a bit sanitized for your protection. Like somebody at Ford told the engineers that the guy's wife might have to drive it, too, so make it feel...friendly.
"But it's a Mustang GT, sir, with the Track Pack," says the middle management engineer to the suit. "Shouldn't we dial it in for a real driver? The guy who knows that a steering wheel that can be turned with one finger is a bad thing?"
"You fool. Men don't buy cars anymore. Our focus groups and overpaid consultants have made it clear that we need to expand the Mustang brand's appeal deeper into the female consumer pool," retorts the suit through stale coffee breath. "Now get back to work. We've lost millions in just the time it has taken me to call you stupid."
The result is an unfulfilling experience on anything but a straight road. Pound the 2010 Ford Mustang GT into some curves and it dances, but it's up on its tippy toes and never settles down long enough for the driver to find a rhythm.
Even the powertrain, which makes plenty of thrust for those late nights at the Connecting Highway and Cross Bay Boulevard, isn't well suited for the twisties. Despite the short 3.73 gears, the soft bottom end of the 4.6-liter V8's power curve (it only starts making real power at 4,000 rpm) and the super-tall 2nd gear in the five-speed conspire to make tight corner exits unexciting unless you're attacking the road at race pace. If you're willing to commit, however, this Mustang will fly in and out of any bend. It just takes high entry speeds, aggressive turn-in and a heavy right foot to keep the revs up.
It does very well in long fast sweepers, where the suspension can take a set and lean on those sticky 19-inch Pirellis, but even on faster open roads, this Mustang will get left for dead by a more agile 2009 Nissan 370Z, although it can pull away from a larger 2009 Dodge Challenger R/T.
Track Testing
Regardless of its shortcomings, this car is fast. In fact, this is the quickest, best handling and best stopping normally aspirated Mustang we've ever tested. Plus, it lays two big patches of Italian rubber if you shift 2nd gear like you're trying to tear the shifter from the fancy new console. We like that.
Making that power is essentially the same engine package that powered the 2009 Ford Mustang Bullitt. To the same old 4.6-liter DOHC V8, Ford has added a cold-air intake plus a reprogrammed ECU that bumps the redline to 6,500 rpm. That same computer also has two different fuel programs: for regular and premium gas. Peak output is 315 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 325 pound-feet of torque at 4,250 rpm, just like the Bullitt.
When we arrived at our test track with the tank filled with premium and the traction and stability control systems off, the Mustang hit 60 mph in 5.2 seconds (4.9 seconds with 1 foot of rollout like on a drag strip), and covered the quarter-mile in 13.5 seconds at 102.9 mph. That's impressive for a car that weighs 3,572 pounds. In the slalom, this Mustang with its Track Pack hardware recorded a speed of 68.4 mph, then circled the skid pad at an eyebrow-raising 0.91g. It also stopped from 60 mph in just 107 feet.
A Good Reason To Buy American
How do those numbers compare to the performance of the rivals of the 2010 Ford Mustang GT? They kick ass.
Of course we haven't tested a new 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS yet, but the 2009 Dodge Challenger R/T isn't even close. The Mustang GT is quicker, faster and easily out-handles the Dodge. And that new Hyundai Genesis coupe everybody is swooning over? Well, the new Mustang GT out-performs it, too.
And so we've found that powerful rear-wheel-drive ride you crave. You know, the drift machine that can be bought on an hourly wage. And we've found it in red, white and blue.
Inside Line Executive Editor Michael Jordan says:
The Mustang GT is not the Shelby GT500KR. It does not have big, honkin' stripes down the middle of its hood. It does not have a supercharged 540-hp engine or tires 3 feet wide. It doesn't smoke the tires like a Pro Stock dragster, leap up in the air like KITT, or do stunt-driving tricks from some kind of lowbrow show on Speed TV. Neither does it hop, skitter, shudder, shake and otherwise perform like some kind of rabid dog. For me, this is a good thing.
Ever since the first Mustang was made out of the bits of a Ford Falcon economy car back in 1964, guys have been trying to stiffen up, snub down and pump up the hardware to create a road monster, usually with massive tires, antiroll bars as thick as your forearm and suspension with as little travel as possible. As we've learned through several generations of Mustang, the result is always more like a Falcon than a Mustang.
When you see the Mustang GT with Track Pack, don't be thinking Milan Dragway. Think Miller Motorsports Park and its spec-racer Mustang road racing series. This car has grip, it has manners thanks to a suspension calibration that's soft enough to let you know what's happening, and you can happily drive it to the store. The 4.6-liter Ford V8 likes to rev to make its power just like an old 289-cubic-inch Ford V8, the engine that Phil Remington, Carroll Shelby's ace fabricator, always said could have won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1965 with a plain old GT40 if only the Ford executives hadn't fallen in love with big-block NASCAR motors.
It's true that the Mustang GT does all things well rather than being particularly spectacular at any one thing, but that's what makes it the kind of car you can happily drive every day with no excuses. The Mustang GT is a package, not just a one-dimensional attitude.
To view pictures and a video go to: http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/FullTests/articleId=143486/pageId=162602
Monday, March 9, 2009
Ford Fiesta SportVan debuts in the UK with 56 mpg
Ford today unveiled the new Ford Fiesta Van which is sale now in the UK starting at £9,025 ($12,448 USD). The Fiesta Van will be available in three trim levels including an entry-level trim, “Trend,” and the “SportVan.”
Engine choices include a 1.25L 82-hp Duratec 16-valve gasoline engine, a 1.4L 68-hp Duratorq TDCi turbo-diesel and a 1.6L 90-hp Duratorq TDCi turbo-diesel. Ford says that the Fiesta Van can manage a class-leading fuel-economy of 67.3 mpg (56 mpg in the U.S.).
Do you think the Fiesta Van can be a success in the U.S.?
Ford Fiesta SportVan:
NEW FORD FIESTA VAN DELIVERS LOW RUNNING COSTS
- New Fiesta Van range now on sale from £9,025 to £10,780
- Available with a choice of three engines and three series: entry, new “Trend” and the top-of-the range SportVan
- Competitive payload of up to 515kg
- Best-in-class fuel economy up to 67.3mpg
- Low insurance groups
- Dagenham-built diesel engines emit just 110g/km CO2
BRENTWOOD, 9 March, 2009 – The new Ford Fiesta Van is now on sale from £9,025. Low running costs make this new entry into the car-derived market a sound business decision. Frugal fuel economy of up to 67.3mpg-, insurance groups of 1E and 2E and a choice of engines and trim levels make it a class-leading package.
Steve Kimber, Ford of Britain’s commercial vehicles director, said: “Fiesta Van is a main player in the car-derived van market with around 25 per cent of all sales. We expect to build on this, as more and more of today’s businesses look to keep their costs under control.
“The van model was an integral part of the new Fiesta product plan and its superior quality really shows. Being competitive has never been more relevant and that’s why Fiesta Van, with the range-topping SportVan, is a great addition to our 2009 line-up.”
The fuel efficiency of the Fiesta Van is best in class: the petrol engine has combined fuel consumption of 49.6mpg and CO2 emissions of 133g/km. Both diesel engines have a combined fuel consumption of 67.3mpg- and CO2 emissions of just 110g/km.
The new Fiesta Van is available in three versions: Fiesta Van, the new “Trend” and “SportVan” with prices starting at £9,025 for the 1.25 Duratec 82PS petrol to £10,780 for the SportVan 1.6 TDCi 90PS with coated diesel particulate filter (cDPF). The addition of the Trend series is set to appeal to a wider group of customers. It is ideal for image-conscious businesses who may be delivering small packages, transporting compact equipment such as meter reading tools or for the site engineer who does not need a large capacity for tools.
Engines
The new Fiesta Van is available with a choice of engines: 1.25-litre 82PS Duratec 16 valve petrol unit and a frugal 1.4-litre 68PS Duratorq TDCi turbo diesel. The top-of-the-range 1.6-litre 90PS Duratorq TDCi turbo diesel is standard in the Fiesta SportVan. The closed-loop coated cDPF is optional on the 1.6-litre 90PS Duratorq TDCi turbo diesel on all series. Both diesel engines are built at Ford’s wind-powered plant at Dagenham, Essex.
Car becomes a van
A payload range from 490kg to 515kg gives customers a competitive option for transporting their products. The rear side windows are replaced by body-coloured solid panels, and the rear passenger seats are removed to provide a load box area of 1,000 cubic litres, with a maximum useable load length of 1,296mm, as well as a maximum load box width of 1,278mm (1,000mm between the wheel arches) and a height of up to 806mm. A half-height composite bulkhead and DIN-compliant tie-down hooks are standard.
New Fiesta Van is equipped with the acclaimed Ford EasyFuel capless refuelling system which is clean and easy to use and also has a mis-fuel inhibitor that prevents the wrong fuel filler nozzle being inserted. This feature is a major benefit to commercial customers, particularly for mixed fleets and vehicles that are used by multiple drivers.
This new model also inherits the best technologies and features from its car cousin including: a chassis designed for a safe and controllable ride under all loading conditions, the new Electric Power Assisted Steering (EPAS) for steering accuracy and lower fuel consumption, and anti-lock brakes (ABS) including Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD). Electronic Stability Programme (ESP) is available as an option with all engines (standard on SportVan) and includes Emergency Brake Assist (EBA).
Fiesta Van feature specification:
- EasyFuel capless refuelling
- Three engine options
- Body colour roof spoiler
- Electric door mirrors
- Stereo radio CD, MP3 connection, four front speakers and steering wheel mounted controls
- Adjustable steering column
- Electric front windows
Fiesta Van Trend features in addition to Fiesta Van:
- Front fog lights
- Body-coloured, power folding, heated door mirrors
- Automatic windshield wipers and headlamps
- Auto dimming rear view mirror
- Trip computer
- Driver’s seat lumbar support
- Heated front windscreen
Standard features of Fiesta SportVan in addition to Fiesta Van Trend:
- 1.6-litre TDCi (90PS) engine
- Body colour sports “aero” kit including high intake front grille, rear bumper and rear spoiler
- 16″ five-spoke sports alloy wheels
- Bluetooth hands free and voice control, including multi function display
- Air conditioning
- Sports style front seats
- Leather trimmed steering wheel
- Rear sports spoiler
- Perimeter alarm
- Sports-tuned suspension with lowered ride height
- ESP/traction control
- Driver’s knee and side airbags (head and thorax) and active head restraint
Engine choices include a 1.25L 82-hp Duratec 16-valve gasoline engine, a 1.4L 68-hp Duratorq TDCi turbo-diesel and a 1.6L 90-hp Duratorq TDCi turbo-diesel. Ford says that the Fiesta Van can manage a class-leading fuel-economy of 67.3 mpg (56 mpg in the U.S.).
Do you think the Fiesta Van can be a success in the U.S.?
Ford Fiesta SportVan:
NEW FORD FIESTA VAN DELIVERS LOW RUNNING COSTS
- New Fiesta Van range now on sale from £9,025 to £10,780
- Available with a choice of three engines and three series: entry, new “Trend” and the top-of-the range SportVan
- Competitive payload of up to 515kg
- Best-in-class fuel economy up to 67.3mpg
- Low insurance groups
- Dagenham-built diesel engines emit just 110g/km CO2
BRENTWOOD, 9 March, 2009 – The new Ford Fiesta Van is now on sale from £9,025. Low running costs make this new entry into the car-derived market a sound business decision. Frugal fuel economy of up to 67.3mpg-, insurance groups of 1E and 2E and a choice of engines and trim levels make it a class-leading package.
Steve Kimber, Ford of Britain’s commercial vehicles director, said: “Fiesta Van is a main player in the car-derived van market with around 25 per cent of all sales. We expect to build on this, as more and more of today’s businesses look to keep their costs under control.
“The van model was an integral part of the new Fiesta product plan and its superior quality really shows. Being competitive has never been more relevant and that’s why Fiesta Van, with the range-topping SportVan, is a great addition to our 2009 line-up.”
The fuel efficiency of the Fiesta Van is best in class: the petrol engine has combined fuel consumption of 49.6mpg and CO2 emissions of 133g/km. Both diesel engines have a combined fuel consumption of 67.3mpg- and CO2 emissions of just 110g/km.
The new Fiesta Van is available in three versions: Fiesta Van, the new “Trend” and “SportVan” with prices starting at £9,025 for the 1.25 Duratec 82PS petrol to £10,780 for the SportVan 1.6 TDCi 90PS with coated diesel particulate filter (cDPF). The addition of the Trend series is set to appeal to a wider group of customers. It is ideal for image-conscious businesses who may be delivering small packages, transporting compact equipment such as meter reading tools or for the site engineer who does not need a large capacity for tools.
Engines
The new Fiesta Van is available with a choice of engines: 1.25-litre 82PS Duratec 16 valve petrol unit and a frugal 1.4-litre 68PS Duratorq TDCi turbo diesel. The top-of-the-range 1.6-litre 90PS Duratorq TDCi turbo diesel is standard in the Fiesta SportVan. The closed-loop coated cDPF is optional on the 1.6-litre 90PS Duratorq TDCi turbo diesel on all series. Both diesel engines are built at Ford’s wind-powered plant at Dagenham, Essex.
Car becomes a van
A payload range from 490kg to 515kg gives customers a competitive option for transporting their products. The rear side windows are replaced by body-coloured solid panels, and the rear passenger seats are removed to provide a load box area of 1,000 cubic litres, with a maximum useable load length of 1,296mm, as well as a maximum load box width of 1,278mm (1,000mm between the wheel arches) and a height of up to 806mm. A half-height composite bulkhead and DIN-compliant tie-down hooks are standard.
New Fiesta Van is equipped with the acclaimed Ford EasyFuel capless refuelling system which is clean and easy to use and also has a mis-fuel inhibitor that prevents the wrong fuel filler nozzle being inserted. This feature is a major benefit to commercial customers, particularly for mixed fleets and vehicles that are used by multiple drivers.
This new model also inherits the best technologies and features from its car cousin including: a chassis designed for a safe and controllable ride under all loading conditions, the new Electric Power Assisted Steering (EPAS) for steering accuracy and lower fuel consumption, and anti-lock brakes (ABS) including Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD). Electronic Stability Programme (ESP) is available as an option with all engines (standard on SportVan) and includes Emergency Brake Assist (EBA).
Fiesta Van feature specification:
- EasyFuel capless refuelling
- Three engine options
- Body colour roof spoiler
- Electric door mirrors
- Stereo radio CD, MP3 connection, four front speakers and steering wheel mounted controls
- Adjustable steering column
- Electric front windows
Fiesta Van Trend features in addition to Fiesta Van:
- Front fog lights
- Body-coloured, power folding, heated door mirrors
- Automatic windshield wipers and headlamps
- Auto dimming rear view mirror
- Trip computer
- Driver’s seat lumbar support
- Heated front windscreen
Standard features of Fiesta SportVan in addition to Fiesta Van Trend:
- 1.6-litre TDCi (90PS) engine
- Body colour sports “aero” kit including high intake front grille, rear bumper and rear spoiler
- 16″ five-spoke sports alloy wheels
- Bluetooth hands free and voice control, including multi function display
- Air conditioning
- Sports style front seats
- Leather trimmed steering wheel
- Rear sports spoiler
- Perimeter alarm
- Sports-tuned suspension with lowered ride height
- ESP/traction control
- Driver’s knee and side airbags (head and thorax) and active head restraint
GM, Chrysler Approval Declines Among U.S. Adults, Survey Finds
March 8 (Bloomberg) -- General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC, the U.S. automakers surviving on government aid, hold less favorable opinions among American adults than the companies did a month ago, according to a survey.
About 32 percent of adults have a favorable view of GM, compared to 42 percent last month, according to a national telephone poll conducted by Rasmussen Reports and published online today. Around 33 percent of survey respondents have favorable views of Chrysler, down from 36 percent a month ago.
GM has lost $82 billion since the company's last annual profit in 2004 and is attempting to restructure operations out of court to avoid filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Chrysler, majority owned by Cerberus Capital Management LP, has received $4 billion in U.S. loans and seeks an additional $5 billion.
Ford Motor Co. hasn't received aid and has a favorable opinion among 51 percent of adults, up from 49 percent last month.
The survey included 1,000 adults questioned from March 5 to March 6 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points, Rasmussen said.
About 32 percent of adults have a favorable view of GM, compared to 42 percent last month, according to a national telephone poll conducted by Rasmussen Reports and published online today. Around 33 percent of survey respondents have favorable views of Chrysler, down from 36 percent a month ago.
GM has lost $82 billion since the company's last annual profit in 2004 and is attempting to restructure operations out of court to avoid filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Chrysler, majority owned by Cerberus Capital Management LP, has received $4 billion in U.S. loans and seeks an additional $5 billion.
Ford Motor Co. hasn't received aid and has a favorable opinion among 51 percent of adults, up from 49 percent last month.
The survey included 1,000 adults questioned from March 5 to March 6 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points, Rasmussen said.
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
You’ve seen our dealership before… you’ve probably driven by a thousand times, and maybe you think of us as just another Ford dealership, but the truth is we’re much more than that. We are a family owned and operated local business that has been proudly serving and supporting Fond du Lac and the surrounding communities since 1911. We’re proud to provide well paying jobs to your family, friends, and neighbors. Our company, our address, our employees, and our customers are a part of the very fabric of this community, and we’re so very proud to be a part of it… proud to support local teams, schools, and charities… proud to pay taxes and contribute to the local economy… proud to say we love this town and the people that make it up!
We’re also very proud to sell and service Ford Motor Company products, some of the very finest vehicles offered today, by the way. Did you know that the new 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid gets 41 MPG in the city, and that it is the most fuel efficient midsize sedan available? That’s better than the Toyota Camry Hybrid and the Nissan Altima Hybrid. Did you know the Ford Escape Hybrid sport utility vehicle gets 34 MPG in the city? And, that’s better than the Honda CR-V and the Toyota RAV4. Ford Motor Company and Service Motors are here offering the community the most amazing technology AND top notch fuel efficiency! You really need to come see for yourself
In the end, we’re proud to say, we’re from Fond du Lac too… and nothing would make us more proud than to see you, our neighbors, driving through Fond du Lac, Mayville, St. Peter, Van Dyne, Mount Calvary, Ripon, Eden, Brownsville, Oshkosh, Waupun, or Campbellsport in your new Ford! So, when you’re ready to purchase or lease a new vehicle, please consider Service Motors Ford-Lincoln-Mercury… because you’re not just buying it from a Ford store, you’re buying it from your neighbors, right here in Fond du Lac.
Today, there is new momentum at Ford. We invite you to drive with us into the future. Drive green. Drive safe. Drive smart. Drive quality you can believe in. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely,
Jeff and Joanne Alexander
Jeff and Joanne Alexander
Owners, Service Motors Ford-Lincoln-Mercury
Really on… Main Street, in Fond du Lac
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Ford introduces small, fuel-efficient SUV concept car at Geneva Auto Show
Concept cars are an important part of every auto show because they indicate direction of what we'll be seeing in new car showrooms in years to come, both in terms of design and technology. The new Ford Iosis MAX being unveiled at the 2009 Geneva Auto Show is a winner.
This small SUV is not an SUV at all -- Ford is calling it an "MAV" -- a multi-activity vehicle. It is built on Ford's global C-car platform. These are its best features:
The Iosis MAX is powered by Ford's fuel-efficient 1.6-litre EcoBoost engine that's mated to Ford's advanced PowerShift transmission, which adds up to lean and clean.
The rear doors slide open, a convenient, passenger-friendly feature that's been limited until now to larger SUVs -- or MAVs -- not compacts. And, the unusual two-piece tailgate system allows you to open the cargo door completely, even when there's not much room to do that.
It is designed with some sexy curves that make it look more like a coupe and less like an SUV -- or MAV.
The center console features a three-dimensional touch-screen surface.
The lightweight seats sit on what Ford describes as a "spine-like bridge, so that occupants are ‘floating on air’. Sounds to me like a suspension system for people, similar to the one that absorbs the bumps and bruises from potholes for the vehicle itself.
And my own favorite feature -- the panorama glass roof that makes the vehicle feel larger and brighter.
Now for the bad news -- this great little vehicle is designed for the European market. Not for North America. So it goes.
This small SUV is not an SUV at all -- Ford is calling it an "MAV" -- a multi-activity vehicle. It is built on Ford's global C-car platform. These are its best features:
The Iosis MAX is powered by Ford's fuel-efficient 1.6-litre EcoBoost engine that's mated to Ford's advanced PowerShift transmission, which adds up to lean and clean.
The rear doors slide open, a convenient, passenger-friendly feature that's been limited until now to larger SUVs -- or MAVs -- not compacts. And, the unusual two-piece tailgate system allows you to open the cargo door completely, even when there's not much room to do that.
It is designed with some sexy curves that make it look more like a coupe and less like an SUV -- or MAV.
The center console features a three-dimensional touch-screen surface.
The lightweight seats sit on what Ford describes as a "spine-like bridge, so that occupants are ‘floating on air’. Sounds to me like a suspension system for people, similar to the one that absorbs the bumps and bruises from potholes for the vehicle itself.
And my own favorite feature -- the panorama glass roof that makes the vehicle feel larger and brighter.
Now for the bad news -- this great little vehicle is designed for the European market. Not for North America. So it goes.
Eco Cars: Ford’s green hybrids get sustainable interiors
Eco Factor: Ford Fusion hybrid gets soy-based foam seating and recycled covering.
To prove that adding an electric drive train is not the only way cars can go green, Ford has outfitted its latest hybrid car, the 2010 Fusion Hybrid, with greener interiors. The car will come with soy-based foam seat backs and cushions, which will be covered in recycled fabric. Ford expects that this new ploy will offset about 5 million pounds of CO2 emissions after the seats are used in more than a million Ford cars that will be developed by this year’s end.
This new introduction replaces the conventional polyurethane foam, which is derived from petroleum. Ford is also experimenting with new materials such as bio-plastics and bio-based resins, which can be used to manufacture other components of a vehicle.
The Dark Side:
The replacement should be wonderful especially for green cars such as the Ford Fusion Hybrid. However, if these new seats come at the added cost of soy, it might not prove to be a worthy venture.
To prove that adding an electric drive train is not the only way cars can go green, Ford has outfitted its latest hybrid car, the 2010 Fusion Hybrid, with greener interiors. The car will come with soy-based foam seat backs and cushions, which will be covered in recycled fabric. Ford expects that this new ploy will offset about 5 million pounds of CO2 emissions after the seats are used in more than a million Ford cars that will be developed by this year’s end.
This new introduction replaces the conventional polyurethane foam, which is derived from petroleum. Ford is also experimenting with new materials such as bio-plastics and bio-based resins, which can be used to manufacture other components of a vehicle.
The Dark Side:
The replacement should be wonderful especially for green cars such as the Ford Fusion Hybrid. However, if these new seats come at the added cost of soy, it might not prove to be a worthy venture.