Take a look at its genealogy and the Ford Fusion is a direct descendant of the original 1960 Ford Falcon. No, that old bird and the Fusion don't share any parts. But they share more than their initials. They are cross-generational philosophical soul mates. Back then, the Falcon was Ford's least pretentious and most accessible car. And today, the Ford Fusion is Ford's least pretentious and most accessible car.
The Ford Fusion effectively replaced both the too-small Contour and the too-boring Taurus when it appeared as a 2006 model. And it neatly split the difference between the two in size, as it was built atop the "CD3" architecture engineered by Mazda in Japan and also used by the Mazda 6. The Fusion was a straightforward design with either four- or six-cylinder engines fitted transversely in its nose like nearly all its direct competition. Both five-speed manual and six-speed automatic transaxles were offered at launch. Cleanly styled, the Ford Fusion was fully armored for battle in the deepest part of the sedan mainstream.
If the Ford Fusion wasn't fancy enough for you, it was available in redecorated form as the Mercury Milan and in a high-zoot luxo version as the Lincoln Zephyr. Additional ability was added to the Ford Fusion for 2007 when all-wheel drive was added to the options sheet.
Reluctant to let the Ford Fusion grow stale, Ford updated it for 2010 with a new, more aggressive nose, bigger taillights, a redecorated interior and a slightly larger standard four-cylinder engine and significantly bigger V6. But the biggest development was the introduction of a new hybrid version of the Ford Fusion.
Using Ford's most advanced hybrid system, the Ford Fusion Hybrid was lauded for its integrated drive systems and outstanding fuel economy.
The Ford Fusion is hardly what car enthusiasts would consider an exciting machine. But excitement isn't what a lot of buyers are looking for. Sometimes a well-built, attractive and unpretentious car is what they want. And in the Ford Fusion, what they get is a well-built, attractive and unpretentious car.
It's no wonder the Ford Fusion has been a success.
