Ever since the Taurus took a nose dive a few years ago, Ford has been looking for a suitable replacement to challenge the Accord and Camry in the mid-sized car segment. Since its first introduction in 2006, Ford has made many modifications to the Fusion including the new Hybrid power plant that the public have really been taking notice to. In comparison to its competitors; the Ford Fusion Hybrid gets some of the best in-town gas mileage. You can expect to get great fuel economy in city driving, around 41 MPG, which is much better than the Toyota Camry hybrid and a little better than the Civic Hybrid. The hybrid electric motor has the ability to power the Fusion up past 45 miles per hour without the help of the gas engine.
Ford has created an ingenious system which is built into the instrument cluster of the Fusion Hybrid called the SmartGauge. There are 2 LCD screens located one on each side of the speedo which display 4 different information screens. The first screen shows the fuel level and the level of power left in the batteries. The 2nd information monitor shows the tachometer and the electric mode function. The third screen displays engine and battery output power. The fourth and final data screen shows power to the wheels and accessory power consumption. The info centers in the Fusion display MGP, fuel consumption past data, a driving log, and radiator temp. A real time MPG information gauge easily displays to drivers which driving style would be best for fuel economy.
You can see the Fusion hybrid flow graph located in the navigation screen. This display will track the 5 modes of the Fusion’s Hybrid Powertrain which are the; electric drive, hybrid drive, electric boost, idle charging, and regenerative breaking.
Seperating itself from the hybrid pack, the Fusion has seats made from reclaimed fabric. The Prius and the Civic Hybrid are two of the most popular cars out today, its about time Ford designed a hybrid car.