Along with the new generation Fusion, Ford also unveiled its green Hybrid and Energi versions.
If anything, they are far most excited about these variants than the Fusion itself. Ford says the Hybrid and the plug-in Hybrid Fusion will raise the bar MPG-wise in this segment, and they will actually do what they claim.
The new hybrid Fusion comes with with all-new lithium-ion batteries that save weight and generate more power than previous nickel-metal hydride batteries, while raising maximum speed under electric-only power from 47 mph to 62 mph. The gasoline engine is a 2.0-liter Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder gasoline engine.
Combined fuel economy figures are 47 mpg in city driving and 44 mpg on the highway, and those are frankly astonishing figures, beating the latest Sonata and Camry hybrids by a couple of MPGs.
The Energi version is the real king of fuel efficiency, with expected fuel rating of more than 100 MPGe. That’s 8 MPGe more than the Chevrolet Volt and 13 MPGe more than the projected efficiency of the Toyota Prius plug-in hybrid model.
What we like about this one is the fact that it looks totally like a normal Fusion. If it weren’t for the badges, and that extra fuel filler cap on the front fender – which is actually the port to plug the car in – you wouldn’t be able to tell it apart from the petrol models. That is simply not the case with cars like the Volt or the Prius. They will mark you as an Eco mentalist, which is just not cool.
