Have a peek at the Latest Ford Fusion SE 2013 Model Car on Road Test.
In the early days of kindergarten, we’re taught the simple rule to not judge a book by its cover. It not only applies to browsing the aisles of Chapters, but to the world of automobiles as well.
Far too often, genuinely attractive cars are mismatched to weak underpinnings. It can be as simple as an unrefined manual transmission in a performance car, or a seemingly underpowered engine tasked with motivating 1,600 kilograms of beautifully sculpted aluminium and steel.
Thankfully, the latter is not the case for the Ford Fusion, provided it’s equipped with the most powerful engine option.
As with the latest trend in the automotive industry, the Fusion lineup is devoid of a six-cylinder engine. Our tester came with the 2.0-litre EcoBoost four-cylinder, the head of the Fusion engine family. Producing 240 horsepower and 270 pound-feet of torque, it is a fantastic motor that never once felt overwhelmed by the Fusion’s 1,670-kg curb weight. The only transmission option is a six-speed automatic that sends power to all four wheels.
The transmission is slow to react sometimes on the highway, but paddle shifters and a sport mode take care of that qualm. In fact, once the turbocharger kicks in after a hint of lag, it outright refuses to let up. The EcoBoosted four may be pegged as a V6 replacement, but it does have a sporty side, especially as the intoxicating whistle of the turbo spooling up seeps into the otherwise museum-quiet cabin.
Unfortunately, that’s just about where the Fusion’s sporty edge ends. The ride is as soft as a goose-down pillow, soaking up bumps and rough pavement very well. The downside is body roll; there is a fair bit of it if you get on the gas early enough climbing an on-ramp. The steering, if a little on the light side, is also devoid of feedback and a little vague, but you’re not going to use a Fusion to tear up slalom courses at Mosport. You’ll probably end up using it as a commuter car, on grocery runs or on road trips, and for those tasks the Fusion is pretty darn good.
It’s also pretty darn good at looking pretty. The Aston Martin grille and the narrow headlights give the Fusion something of a scowl, and the sleek lines across the side flow into the rear haunches over the trunk. The high beltline accents the sleek look, but it hampers sightlines out of the rear. Good thing our tester came with a back-up camera and optional parking sensors.
It also came with a slew of Ford’s active safety features, as part of the so-called Driver Assist Package. It includes the requisite blind-spot monitor as well as a doodad that can keep you in your lane. Press the button on the turn signal stalk and the Fusion’s multiple sensors try their best to keep the car in the middle of the lane by nudging the steering wheel towards the right direction.
But the feature can be a bit intrusive, especially if you happen to hit the button accidentally while driving 120 km/h on the highway. You’d be caught off-guard, too, if steering suddenly started adjusting itself and you had no idea why.
The Fusion also came with Ford's Active Park Assist, a gadget that enables the car to park itself, thus making poor parallel parking skill a non-issue.
The Fusion also came with Ford’s Active Park Assist, a gadget that enables the car to park itself, thus making poor parallel parking skill a non-issue. The system may take a while to figure out if the spot you want is big enough, but it miraculously works and all the driver needs to do is modulate the brake pedal. It might be quicker to park it yourself, but that won’t score you full bragging rights in your circle of friends over how perfectly parallel your Fusion is with the curb. You don’t have to tell them it parked itself…
Like its Lincoln MKZ cousin, the Fusion in its current form represents a great starting point for Ford. It may not be the most agile sedan, and the interior could use some more refinement. Skip the intrusive lane-departure system and the Fusion is a handsome and powerful family hauler if CUVs don’t tickle your fancy. After giving back the keys, though, I can’t help but wonder what a Fusion ST would be like.
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