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July 6, 2009
The Fusion feels solid and composed over broken or uneven pavement, soaking up bumps and rendering road noise virtually absent. The suspension is firm enough, although it’s a more compliant ride than you’d find in a European midsize sedan. As I say, power, handling and ride are well matched; more than adequate for the type of service to which a midsize family car will typically be put.
    2010 Ford Fusion SEL V6. Click image to enlarge |
The interior is very nicely finished, which is something we are coming to expect from Ford. The redesigned leather seats offer superb comfort and support, and feature contrasting stitching to show off their precise construction. The steering wheel is a quality appliance that feels good in your hands, although its remote controls could offer some tactile indication of their function. Legroom for the rear passengers is sufficient, affording comfortable seating or a split 60/40 configuration for extra cargo space. The rear seats fold down via handy pull-controls in the trunk.
The sun visors are unusual in that they can be unclipped and will slide inward, and the capless fuel filler is definitely, as Ford advertising used to say, “a better idea.”
The instrument cluster, with black background and blue illumination, is attractive and legible. The signature blue illumination (including ambient lighting in the footwell and illuminated cup holders in the centre console) is an impressive display that’s applied to all the switches and buttons, and while striking in appearance, controls are difficult to identify at a glance. Ford continues to use its single multifunction stalk for turn signals, wiper/washers and high beams, which arguably adds to the number of buttons. The headlights are automatic, however.
Ford also continues to include its “SecuriCode” keyless entry keypad, which does seem redundant with a keyless remote in your hand. But then again, one supposes there are places where you would choose to lock your keys in the car (at the gym, the beach), and this feature becomes quite handy. It would be nice to have a start button to complement the keypad, but as it is, it beats hiding your keys in a towel.
Speaking of the gym, you could save money on a membership by simply raising and lowering the Fusion hood on a regular basis. It is very heavy and is not supported with gas struts. Heaving this thing up and securing it with a prop rod would be a challenge for some.
 2010 Ford Fusion SEL V6. Click image to enlarge |
The opposite is the case for the handy storage bin in the centre of the dashboard. Its lid catapults up at the press of a button. The operation of both these covers — the hood and the storage box — is inelegant and requires damping.
The Fusion SEL V6 is rated at 11.3/7.4 L/100 km, city/highway, but I achieved 13 L/100 km in everyday city driving, using a fuel-efficient driving style. This is not bad, but 12.0/8.0 L/100 km was a ballpark standard for midsize cars with a V6 engine ten years ago, and one wonders why it hasn’t significantly improved. The answer, perhaps, is that cars are more powerful now, have more standard equipment and are heavier. Nonetheless, consumers would appreciate lower fuel consumption in this popular class of vehicle.
So does the 2010 Ford Fusion exceed expectations? Well, it’s exceedingly comfortable and well-equipped for the money, and in several areas (interior fit and finish, comfort, ride, extra touches like the capless fuel filter, sliding visors) you get more than you expect.
Ford is going in the right direction with the 2010 Fusion SEL as it targets the elite contenders in the midsize segment.
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Pricing: 2010 Ford Fusion SEL V6
Click here for options, dealer invoice prices and factory incentives
Specifications
Competitors
Crash test results
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Related posts:
- What’s New: 2010 Ford Fusion
- Ford unveils 2010 Fusion and Fusion Hybrid
- 2010 Ford Fusion to get six-speed transmission
- Test Drive: 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid
- Drivers to test Ford Fusion Hybrid’s driving range
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