The midsize-sedan market has always been one of the most competitive segments in the United States, and Ford ratchets up expectations with its 2013 Fusion.
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The Fusion features luxury-like styling, a unique and tech-ladened interior, and the first plug-in midsize hybrid with the redesign.
The redesigned 2013 Ford Fusion is all-new for the model year, featuring unique Euro-influenced styling. The new midsize Fusion will be sold nearly unchanged in Europe as the Ford Mondeo, according to Cars.com Industry Analyst Kelsey Mays. Its looks aren't the only thing that’s changed; the model no longer features a V-6 option but instead opts for five fuel-efficient four-cylinder engines, including a hybrid and Ford's first plug-in hybrid powertrain.
Car shoppers returned to family sedans in December, and a fresh round of products will greet them in 2012. Ford kicks things off with the next-generation Fusion, which hits U.S. dealers this fall and international markets as the Mondeo in early 2013.
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Ford says 70% of consumers see midsize sedans as a lookalike group, and 43% who trade theirs in say they did so just to have something different. The Fusion cuts through this, falling into Kia Optima and Hyundai Sonata territory for outside-the-box styling. Design cues mirror the Evos Concept from last year's Frankfurt Motor Show, with thin headlamps that sweep clear toward the front fenders and a low, forward grille. The beltline stays visually flat — in contrast to the rising lines on most sedans — and the bumper runs flush with the trunk lid, with integrated tailpipes beneath. Wheels range from 16 to 19 inches, and trim levels include the S, SE and Titanium. There will also be Fusion Hybrid and plug-in Energi models; the Energi arrives closer to the end of the year.
For the 2013 model year, the completely redesigned Ford Fusion will get an available lane departure warning system. The safety feature, usually reserved for luxury vehicles from Mercedes-Benz or Volvo, will help keep drivers aware of lane markings and alert drivers if they're drowsy.
The feature, which Ford calls the Lane Keeping System, uses a camera mounted on the windshield in front of the rearview mirror; it helps record and detect lane markings. Once the car is traveling faster than 40 mph, the steering wheel will vibrate — simulating the feel of going over rumble strips — if you try to change lanes without using a turn signal. If the driver doesn't respond and continues to drift into another lane, the electric power-assisted steering will kick in and slowly steer the car back into its lane, Ford says. (Mercedes' system works in a similar way.) If the driver is actively trying to switch lanes without indicating, the slight tug of the Lane Keeping System can be easily overridden, Ford says.
Lowell from Niagara Falls, N.Y., is a new owner of a 2012 Ford Fusion. After looking for a replacement for his 2001 Mercury Sable wagon, Lowell considered several Ford vehicles — including the Escape and Focus — but settled on the Fusion because of its quiet and comfortable ride. This reader holds out hope that Ford will build a proper station wagon one day, however. Continue reading the full review to find out more. Once you're done, write a review about your own car here.
Twenty-five days separate us from the 2012 Detroit auto show. Of the more than 36 new cars coming to the show, we now can confirm at least 28 vehicles will be there.
Unlike the 2011 L.A. Auto Show, the Detroit show seems to focus heavily on concept cars. The most important production cars we know of now include the 2013 Ford Fusion, 2013 Dodge Dart, 2013 Acura RDX, 2013 Toyota Prius c and the 2013 Cadillac ATS.
This week we learned that the 2013 Fusion will be at the show and a Lincoln MKZ concept, as we previously reported. The Fusion will be introduced at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on Jan. 10 and at the Detroit auto show on the same day. The next-generation Mercedes-Benz SL-Class will also be shown off (shown above).
There will be some thinly veiled concepts to look out for, too. They include the Acura ILX Concept, a compact car with a hybrid variant, and, more importantly, the 2013 Honda Accord Coupe Concept. If past Honda concepts are any indication, it will pretty much be the new Accord that will go on sale later next year.
For now, those are the major releases we know about. We’ll have more info once the 2012 Detroit auto show gets under way Jan. 9.
Ford is recalling 128,616 2010-11 Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan vehicles with 17-inch steel wheels because the wheel studs may fracture, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
In the affected vehicles, multiple stud fractures could occur at the wheel location, and the driver may experience vehicle vibration or wheel separation, increasing the risk of a crash. The recalled vehicles were built between April 1 and April 30, 2009, and Dec. 1, 2009, and Nov. 13, 2010. You can see when your car was built by checking a label affixed to the driver-side doorjamb.
Owners will be notified the week of Jan. 24. Dealers will inspect the rear brake disc surface and replace the discs at no charge if necessary. The lug nuts will be replaced on all four wheels as well. Owners can call Ford at 866-436-7332 or NHTSA’s vehicle safety hotline at 888-327-4236 for more info.
Falling consumer confidence hasn't deterred car shoppers, as pent-up demand raised October sales versus a year ago for all but one major carmaker. Chrysler, Hyundai/Kia and Nissan posted big gains, with GM, Ford and Honda growing modestly. Toyota was the sole loser, dropping 7.9 percent in sales. Pickup trucks, typically strong in the fall, saw continued gains, but family sedans made a comeback, taking three of October's top five slots — something not seen since May.
Detroit pickups took the top two spots, with GM's Chevrolet Silverado and Ford’s F-Series posting some sales gains. The F-Series stayed atop the sales pile this month, comfortably outselling the No. 2 Chevrolet Silverado. Six-cylinder engines account for more than half of all F-150s sold, Ford sales chief Ken Czubay said in a conference call. It gives shoppers of the soon-to-be-discontinued Ranger a truck with similar gas mileage, he said.
Despite the 2012 redesign hitting dealerships last month, Toyota's popular Camry fell 11.9 percent — dethroned for the moment by the Honda Accord, down 1.1 percent. Accord inventory is only about half of what it was in October 2010, according to Automotive News.
The midsize sedan is by far the most popular car segment in the U.S., with more than 2 million sold so far this year. So it’s no surprise that some of the best-selling vehicles in the country are midsize family sedans, such as the Toyota Camry, Nissan Altima and Ford Fusion. It’s also one of the most competitive markets, with over 20 moderately priced models on sale today.
Over the past few months, the market has heated up even more. Toyota is launching the all-new 2012 Camry this month, and it will boast more features, improved gas mileage and more-affordable pricing for midlevel trims. The redesigned 2012 Volkswagen Passat is now a legitimate player in the moderately priced family sedan category, moving away from the premium category. Its starting price of $19,995 offers novel features, such as dual-zone automatic climate control, standard.
So which sedan is the best-equipped — and also the most affordable — car for the money? For this latest affordability study, we decided to pit the redesigned 2012 Camry and 2012 Passat against the 2012 Hyundai Sonata and the 2012 Fusion. All four have attractive pricing with lots of features.
August was another solid month of sales growth for many popular carmakers, but Toyota and Honda once again remained the exception.
General Motors (up 18%), Ford (up 11.2%), Nissan (up 19.2%) and Hyundai (up 9.1%) all recorded strong growth. Chrysler grew by 31%, which the automaker says is “well above the industry average.” Stable truck sales buoyed GM, Ford and Chrysler: The Ford F-Series and Chevrolet Silverado are firmly the top-selling vehicles of the year thus far, and Ram sales have grown nearly 25% compared with 2010.
The Chevrolet Cruze was the third-best-selling car of the month, and it was the best-selling compact car. It’s also GM’s best-selling car, beating the Chevy Malibu and Impala year-to-date.
Toyota and Honda were a different, yet familiar, story. Both companies saw double-digit declines compared with a year ago. Toyota was down 12.7% while Honda fell a whopping 24.6%.
Despite the slump, the Toyota Camry remained the top-selling car in August, with more than 30,000 of the family sedans reaching customers. The Honda Accord returned to the top 10 best-selling list, finishing in ninth place. The once-venerable nameplate was absent from the list in July.
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