Ford Fusion

Ford Fusion is a mid-size car produced by the Ford Motor Company since the 2006 model year. It is based on the Ford CD3 platform, of which the Mazda 6 is the best known example. The Fusion went on sale in October 2005 as a 2006 model.

The Fusion is manufactured at Ford's Hermosillo Stamping & Assembly plant in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico, where the similar Mercury Milan and Lincoln MKZ are also built. All three cars are based on the same platform and were launched simultaneously into the market (the MKZ as the Zephyr). Production on the first Fusions began on August 1, 2005.

Ford's advertising campaign for the Fusion in the United States is entitled Life in Drive, while in Canada it is Create a Reaction.

At its launch, the Fusion fit in a line of sedans by Ford (smallest to largest) and EPA size category

With its launch, the Fusion debuted Ford's new three-bar grille design, which is expected to become the company's trademark look for the rest of the decade. Production volume is projected at 160,000-200,000 per year. U.S. sales in 2006 totaled 142,502.

Fusion's competitors are the Chevrolet Malibu (and possibly the larger Impala), Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Nissan Altima, Mitsubishi Galant and Pontiac G6. Car and Driver notes that the car is actually similar in size to the first generation Ford Taurus rather than the Ford Tempo or Ford Contour which occupied the small mid-size slot during those years, an example of car size inflation since the 1980s.

Changes to the CD3 platform from the Mazda6 include stretching it by 30 mm (1.2 in) in width and 55 mm (2.2 in) in length, strengthening it, and modifying the suspension for a more compliant ride. Like the Mazda, the Fusion uses the Mazda-designed 2.3 L Duratec 23 I4 and Ford-designed 3.0 L Duratec 30 V6. All wheel drive is offered for V6 models in 2007.

The Fusion shares some interior parts with the otherwise unrelated European Mondeo, such as part of the console and the seats. Both automatic and manual transmissions are available (the latter only with the I4 engine).

According to Ford, consumer response to the Fusion has exceeded their expectations, with 30,000 sold during the first quarter of 2006. The Fusion was nominated for the North American Car of the Year award for 2006. In July 2006, Strategic Vision gave the Fusion its Total Quality Award as the best-quality midsize sedan on the American market.

AutoWeek magazine made a tongue-in-cheek comment that Ford named the new sedan the Fusion only because its grille has a striking resemblance to the Gillette Fusion safety razor.[citation needed] It may also be suggested that Ford drew inspiration from the rear and front styling of the fourth and fifth-generation Honda Prelude, respectively. Regardless, the three-bar grille, which includes two matching bars below the bumper/fascia and is thus a five-bar design, was first seen on a concept car called the Ford 427, unveiled in 2003 at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit.
An article reflecting on the retirement of the Taurus however noted that whatever its faults, Ford did sell a large volume of them, and at the time production ended, the Taurus was still outselling the smaller Fusion and larger Ford Five Hundred combined, thanks to Taurus' large fleet sales. In the first half of 2006, approximately 81% of Fusion sales were retail (as opposed to fleet).This sales mix has contributed, in part, to the Fusion's relatively high residual value compared to the Taurus.