Sleek changes fused into Ford Fusion
2006 was a good year for the Ford Fusion family sedan, bagging several awards for quality and beating the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry in the reliability index released by Consumer Reports. However, the Ford Fusion has yet to win the North American Car of the Year award, because it was previously given to the Saturn Aura in the same year that Ford launched the 
Fusion. Ford also needs to revamp Fusion if they want to be a worthy player in the market for mid-size sedan vehicles.
In 2009, the Ford Fusion is due to have its mid-term facelift, after which it will be re-launched into the market as a 2010 model. J.D. Shanahan, the one in charge of model production, knows that it’s going to take more than just minor sheet metal changes and hardware upgrades if Ford wants Fusion to get back on top of the game. Shanahan says that even though Fusion beat Accord and Camry in 2006, they stilll have a lot of model upgrading and redesigning to do because Toyota and Honda will also be coming out with mid-term updates on their own models.
The 2010 Fusion range is being unveiled at the Los Angeles auto show, and includes a full hybrid car model that Ford claims will beat the competition in terms of fuel economy. Ford says that their hybrid model will be able to operate in an all-electric mode of up to 47 mph. One of Ford’s team leader, Nancy Goia, shares that the hybrid model can even cruise at 45 mph without engaging the engine. Compared with other Ford hybrid models, the Fusion uses a better battery that’s 23 percent smaller, lighter and more powerful than those of other Ford hybrids.
Aside from engine and hardware improvements, Ford has also redesigned the interiors and added in all-new instrument panels, blue lighting, revised switchgear, soft-touch surfaces and more ergonomic seats.