2013 Ford Fusion – Redefining the Segment

Maybe making a car’s design stand out isn’t everything. Maybe building a car that is as appealing as the all new, redesigned 2013 Ford Fusion isn’t earth shaking. Maybe a car that looks as good, has premium quality, inside and outside, curb appeal, presence, the right curves in all the right places, the right balance, that exudes a harmonious, lustrous shape, isn’t everything but it sure outclasses everything in its competitive midsize segment and that spells sure trouble for perennial brand heavy weights like Toyota’s Camry and Honda’s Accord.

Forever, it would seem, we have been reminded time and time again of the formidable, unstoppable, almost bullet proof like, invulnerable brand dominance that both Toyota and Honda held over the domestic main stays like Ford. Who, at one time, had the Taurus, even if it was briefly, outscoring the Camry as the number one selling car in America. But, that was oh, so long ago, you would need historians to comb through the cobwebs of ancient cardom to uncover that factoid.   

But back to the new 2013 Ford Fusion’s staggeringly, good looking design. Yea, sure, it does look a bit like an Aston Martin, a worthy and visually attractive, original design. Yet Ford’s designers have managed to distill a high level of the Aston’s DNA into all the right places of the all new Fusion without cheapening it. In all the right places, it’s well weighted, well balanced looks, succeeds as the unquestioned, par excellence presence of a much more luxurious, well refined, driving abode. Yes, you read that last part right. This isn’t just merely transportation looking like an appliance on wheels. This is luxury, made affordable. If anything, the 2013 Ford Fusion isn’t being promoted “as a good as the competition”, because it’s simply a better looking car all around. And as I am writing these abounding accolades about the richness of the newly redesigned, Ford Fusion, I have to remind myself that these remarks are coming from someone who although appreciating Ford’s storied history as a pioneer, domestic leader and innovator, in recent memory, I was never one to warm to their car designs until laying eyes on the 2013 Ford Fusion.















Starting from the front, where the hood length curves nicely into the well shaped hexagonical grill down to the front bumpers, balanced by perfectly sized headlamps, inset neatly between the sight lines of the front of the car and working along the sides, where the character line, with its subtle crease, flows elegantly along the length of the entire car, and towards the rear deck, where the trunk waterfalls almost seamlessly into the flush bumpers, infused with their integrated dual port exhaust, portrays a harmonious blend of richness and civility, that it is hard to imagine such a car can be priced to be affordable.          
Moving from the svelte, subtle shaped exterior to the attractive, handsome interior, the Fusion does not disappoint.

In fact, it keeps you anticipating. And the anticipation is well worth it. It gives up nothing to its Asian competitors as the uplevel interior, starting from the driver’s side to the passenger’s is both inviting and luxurious, a welcome change from the mundane cookie cutter type, ho hum interiors that have become so yesterday when compared to the all new Fusion. Head, leg, in both front and back are expected to be class leading. Again, Ford is making a convincing case for what we should expect in a car of this class.
Ford eschewed a six cylinder option and will instead go with all four cylinder engines driving the front wheels of the Fusion. With a choice of three engines; 2.5 liter Duratec for base models, 1.6 liter EcoBoost and a more powerful direct injected, 2.0 liter EcoBoost for premium level Fusions, all are coupled with a six speed auto transmission. Manual can be had with the lower powered 1.6 liter EcoBoost. A hybrid powered, Atkinson-cycle, 2.0 liter powertrain will also be available as well as a hybrid 2.0 liter plug-in electric.

While test drive reviews have yet to be written on the cars ride, handling and overall experience, it is hard to imagine that the Fusion will be anything less than superb.
The bold, yet brilliant design of the 2013 Ford Fusion will practically redefine the midsize segment. Because it has the class, it strikes the right balance. It has the right presence, it has affordable luxury and it has the segment redefined.

Hyundai To Build 72 MPG Fuel Cell Vehicle

Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles Scheduled for Production in 2015

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Hyundai will soon begin mass producing Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEV) capable of delivering more than 72 miles per gallon (MPG) and higher by as early as 2015. The automaker had already begun their second phase of testing on 50 modified Tucsons as part of the South Korean government’s validation program throughout all of 2011. For more than a decade Hyundai has invested heavily in research and development of their Fuel Cell Electric technology.

Hyundai announced some of the details of their fuel cell electric advancements at the Fuel Cell & Hydrogen Energy 2011, in Washington, DC on February 14th of last year. Dr. Tae Won Lim, Managing Director of Hyundai Motor Company’s Fuel Cell Vehicle Group, stated that their third generation Fuel Cell Electric (FCEV), Known as the Tucson ix, would be capable of a range topping 403 miles and deliver up to 72 miles per gallon (MPG) fuel economy over previous generation FCEV models.

Hyundai’s third generation FCEV, is powered by a combination Hydrogen and electric system. When final testing is completed, it should be in production in as little as three years. According to Dr. Tae Won Lim, “After several years of testing, we have identified ways to maximize fuel efficiency without compromising driving experience and powertrain range. We hope to continue this momentum in finding ways to better fuel cell technology and performance.”

Hyundai’s third generation FCEV is equipped with the company’s newest 100-kilowatt fuel cell system which comprises of two hydrogen storage cylinders, and an inverter to deliver a substantial improvement in fuel efficiency. More impressively, the system has been started in temperatures as low as minus 25 degrees Celsius or minus 13 degrees Fahrenheit.

The 403 mile range tops the previous generation which only had a maximum range of 230 miles by almost 76 percent and has a top speed of 100 mph. Also fuel economy improved from 63 miles per
gallon (MPG) to more than 72 miles per gallon (MPG), a significant increase of 14 percent.

The miles per gallon gain is significant because the Fuel Cell Electric technology in the Tucson ix, a compact SUV, can be easily incorporated into their lighter compact vehicles like the popular selling Elantra and midsize Sonata cars which should offer even more impressive fuel economy savings of possibly up to 100 mpg or more.

Hyundai was able to achieve these remarkable fuel economy numbers by incorporating modularization by downsizing their fuel cell system by 20 percent compared to the previous generation.

As yet unknown are the actual engine performance from zero to 60, its pricing, recharging turnaround time and its reliability. However, it is well known that the automaker has been testing reliability for several years so this should be a minimal concern.

Source: Hyundai USA