Is it a car? Is it a SUV? It's a UAV!. Review on Ford Fusion

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Styling:

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

Engine and Performance:

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

Handling:

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

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

Comfort:

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

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

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

Fuel Economy:

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

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

Overall:

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

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