- New Fusion brings alive a generation of expressive vehicles from Ford
- Fusion delivers the very best of what ‘One Ford’ stands for.
- Design aims for a top-drawer visual experience
- Cockpit offers a sporty and driver-orientated environment
CAPE TOWN, South Africa, 20 January 2015 – Featuring a sleek silhouette and fresh face, the all-new Fusion is developed to satisfy customers everywhere looking for leading fuel efficiency, helpful technologies and game-changing looks.
The Global Product Development team were given a blank slate, with the charge to develop a midsize car with ground-breaking design – and one that featured technologies to help make customers safer and better drivers. This car is the result.
Different, by design
“Our design goal for the new car was to give the mainstream sedan buyer a top-drawer visual experience, adding some emotional appeal to an already sensible choice,” said Chris Hamilton, chief exterior designer.
These elements provided direction for the design team behind the all-new Fusion:
- Silhouette innovation: Fusion’s sleek profile sets it apart from the powertrain/cabin/trunk “three-box” designs synonymous with midsize sedans
- Perceived efficiency: Fusion character lines sweeping to the rear and thin roof pillars suggest the car is nimble and light on its feet
- Refined surface language: Fusion demonstrates that a tasteful, well-executed design does not require add-ons or visual clutter
- Technical graphics: Fusion’s functional design elements such as LED headlamps, LED taillamps and polished exhaust tips communicate enhanced technological capability
Inside, the new Fusion offers a sporty, driver-oriented environment with next-generation seating that brings expanded functionality. A high centre console supports the driver-centric theme and yields clever storage for items a driver wants to keep handy.
Additional passenger space was designed-in by moving the instrument panel toward the windshield, contributing to the cabin’s airy, open environment. Thinner, lighter frames support comfortable next-generation seats trimmed with fabric using recycled sustainable yarns.
Craftsmanship plus dynamics equals feel
Fusion design delivers on the promise of high visual quality, with improved materials, elevated levels of craftsmanship and attention to detail.
Interior surfaces are softer to the touch and interior and exterior gaps are minimized, while extra care has been taken to upholster or cover each edge and every surface a customer can touch. When the trunk lid is opened, for example, a spring-loaded cover automatically conceals the boot latch hardware.
“The holistic goal of our craftsmanship process is to see that Fusion not only delivers a superior visual experience but also feels like quality to the customer,” said Adrian Whittle, Fusion chief engineer.
Key contributors to how the Fusion feels are the ride and handling components that maximize vehicle dynamics. Careful tuning by Ford’s vehicle handling and ride team has yielded a Fusion with a dynamic character that will please a well-seasoned enthusiast while increasing the confidence level of less-experienced drivers.
Fusion NVH reaches a new level with acoustic underbody shields and weight-saving sound-absorption material; both minimize road and powertrain noise while boosting aerodynamic efficiency to help save fuel. The all-new model adds content such as a full-perimeter hood seal to be among the midsize sedan segment leaders in giving drivers a quiet ride.
Strength and safety
Fusion is designed with customer safety in mind. Engineers increased its body strength by 10 percent, using more high-strength steels such as boron, and added dual first-row knee airbags and adaptive front airbags that vent and tether to conform to a specific occupant’s size, position and seatbelt usage.
The most prominent example is Fusion’s front-end architecture, as the same car must face simultaneous – and seemingly conflictive – standards across regions. The car’s front end is equipped to meet head-on and offset barrier standards for North America while still conforming to European standards for pedestrian protection – thanks to hours of computer modeling and 180 validating crash tests.
The all-new Fusion offers an unprecedented portfolio of driver assistance and convenience technologies based on sensors, cameras and radar that enable the car to see and respond. Fusion can help drivers maintain proper lane position, adjust vehicle speed to changing traffic conditions, identify suitable parking spaces and help park, even aiding drivers backing out of parking space where visibility is obstructed.
A few highlights include:
Lane Keeping System: This class-exclusive technology consists of three elements to help a driver maintain proper lane position. Using a small, forward-facing camera behind the inside rearview mirror, the system “looks” down the road, monitoring lane lines to determine that the car is on course. The system will alert a driver if drowsiness or erratic lane-keeping is detected. The second element warns a driver with a steering wheel vibration if the Fusion drifts too close to lane markings. Finally, lane keeping aid will actually apply pressure on the steering to help bring the car back into proper lane position
Adaptive cruise control: Using forward-looking radar, this system “looks” down the road when activated, slowing the Fusion when slower traffic is detected ahead. Adaptive cruise control enables collision warning with brake support to help slow the car if the potential of a crash is detected
Active park assist: Employing sensors, this technology can identify a suitable parallel parking space, calculate the trajectory and steer the car to properly position it within the spot. All a driver need do is operate accelerator and brake pedals
Blind Spot Information System (BLIS®) with cross-traffic alert: Sensors in both Fusion rear quarter-panels are able to detect traffic in a driver’s blind spot, providing both audible and visual warnings if traffic – unseen by the driver – is detected. BLIS technology enables cross-traffic alert, warning the driver of oncoming traffic when backing out of a parking space with obstructed views, such as between two large vans
