Ford Fusion Hybrid spied testing in Melbourne

Buntz · 09-04-2011, 02:31 AM

Quote:

A left-hand drive Ford Fusion Hybrid has been spotted in Australia apparently undergoing testing by Ford.

CarAdvice reader Jeza snapped the Fusion Hybrid in city traffic in Melbourne. The Fusion is a mid-sized sedan that is not sold in Australia. It is manufactured in Mexico and sold in North America, Latin America and parts of the Middle East.

The sticker on the back of the vehicle says ‘Engineering Evaluation Vehicle’.

CarAdvice has contacted Ford Australia for comment about the Fusion Hybrid evaluation vehicle and we will update the story when we hear more.

The Fusion Hybrid was launched in the US in March 2009. It is powered by a 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, an electric motor and a nickel-metal hydrid battery.

It is capable of driving in electric-only mode up to speeds of 75km/h and has a combined power output of 142kW. The Fusion Hybrid has an EPA-tested (US regulation) combined cycle fuel consumption of 6.0 litres/100km and a range of 1125km.

Its fuel economy makes it more efficient than its medium hybrid competitors in the US –the Toyota Camry Hybrid, Nissan Altima Hybrid and Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid – and in 2010 the Fusion Hybrid was named the North American Car of the Year.

Why would FoA need to evaluate a Fusion? Part of the many projects FoA is working on?

**Polyal** · 09-04-2011, 08:59 AM

Most likely attributes than the whole car....think about the latest announcement and where they do work for. Could be anything, or simply a chance to sample fords hybrid system.

**Luke Plaizier** · 09-04-2011, 09:16 AM

Side by side comparison testing with the Ecoboost Falcon, because it is secretly going to be Hybrid as well?

Lukeyson

Poetic Justice · 09-04-2011, 10:30 AM

Interesting tail end on that car, design speaking that is.

Also, number plate suggests the car has been in the country for quite a while.

jpd80 · 09-04-2011, 11:14 AM

It looks like the same vehicle that was seen here early last year....

http://www.blueovalforums.com/forums...rne-austraila/

Same number plate and all...

BDA074 · 09-04-2011, 11:17 AM

Interesting. Don't think they make them in RHD?
Mondeo is about the same size. Would be great to have a Hybrid Ford in Aus!

jpd80 · 09-04-2011, 11:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BDA074

Interesting. Don't think they make them in RHD?
Mondeo is about the same size. Would be great to have a Hybrid Ford in Aus!

No chance this side of new CD4 Fusion/Mondeo being released in 12-18 months time as a 2013 year model.

What would be interesting is if FNA "gifted" FoA the soon to be superseded Fusion and allowed
Ford Australia to transform the front into more of a Mondeo-Falcon kinetic style.
Can't see it happening though......

Hermosillo is flat out producing close to 350,000 Fusions a year for US, Canada, and Latin America.

Road_Warrior · 09-04-2011, 11:30 AM

It could just be one of the many R&D projects that FoA has been assigned to do.

Either that, or Holden or Toyota are the ones testing it, not Ford. Particularly Toyota considering they have the Hybrid Camry and they could be benchmarkin it for a number of reasons...

Franco Cozzo · 09-04-2011, 11:42 AM

I don't like the design on the back of that thing, but the front looks really nice.

jpd80 · 09-04-2011, 11:44 AM

Same vehicle that was seen here last year in July

stevz · 09-04-2011, 12:07 PM

It looks like an fg thats been rear ended by a truck lol.

dylancox · 09-04-2011, 02:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevz

It looks like an fg thats been rear ended by a truck lol.

Hmm, did the designer of the AU get a promotion and move to the USA?

. This looks to the FG, like what the AU was to the EL...

uranium_death · 09-04-2011, 02:35 PM

I don't like it...looks like a Corolla. No flow in the body.

Mick K. · 09-04-2011, 03:15 PM

I had a Fusion 4cyl 2.5l (not hybrid) for a couple of weeks as a rental car last Nov in Florida. It is a good looking car in the flesh, better than some of those photos show. I drove it for 1300 miles on a mix of about 400 miles urban and 900 miles highway. Overall average was 29.5 mpg.

Was pretty good as a highway cruiser as most mid-sized large capacity 4cyls are. It was either a 6 speed or CVT - but one of the annoying things was that it had no manual mode for the gearbox at all - just "D" or "L". I think a tiptronic shifter was an option. Can't say how it goes on hills cause there aren't any hills in Florida!

The interior was a bit Chrysler 300C-ish with old school LED lettering on the climate and audio read outs, rather than the more modern looking readouts I've seen in Australian cars. Ours has some special sirrius satellite radio and a button that cycled through about 10 colours of mood lighting for the car - which the kids liked, but ....

Plenty of room for 2 kids with car seats, 2 adults up front and the big boot swallowed all of our luggage well.

Overall, I would probably prefer a Mondeo, but if the US free trade agreement and weak US dollar makes the Fusion Hybrid something Ford Australia can price competitively, then it should sell well against the Camry, i45, and other mid-sizers.

MK

starkersEB · 09-04-2011, 09:30 PM

Dont Ford test cars have a silver tab on the number plate? Maybe its not Ford doing the testing???

80rs · 09-04-2011, 09:59 PM

Its definetly a ford test car cos it does the same public road drives that the new ranger does around Highton in Geelong i have even seen it following the rangers when the rangers were still in full camoflage spec

**Luke Plaizier** · 09-04-2011, 10:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mick K.

I had a Fusion 4cyl 2.5l (not hybrid) for a couple of weeks as a rental car last Nov in Florida. MK

Last November eh? Sounds like someone was in town to (attempt to) catch a Shuttle launch....

We picked up a Mercury Grand Marquis. Horrid thing it was. Sloppy Gelopy with no handling and no balls. Hard to believe that that was the reason why there were no Falcon exportsd to the middle east. I wish I'd gone the Fusion instead.

Lukeyson

Bossxr8 · 09-04-2011, 11:25 PM

I've been seeing Fusions and Taurus's on and off for a while now, nothing new. Saw a standard Fusion last week, a silver one, as well as an S-Max and an SVT Raptor.

Ford always have a fleet of evaluation vehicles, they could be testing anything from engines, to electrical systems or even evaluating them for sale here. The S Max may be a chance.