http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080725/ford_...ucts.html?.v=1

The 2010 Fusion goes into production at the end of this year, and is to be available the first of next year. In other words, in about 6 months.

The Fusion Hybrid is also supposed to be coming, and the rumor is city mileage of over 40mpg.

 

Sounds pretty good on both fronts. I am especially curious as to what the price will be on the hybrid version. If it can match the milage of the Prius at about the same pricepoint I think that will be a huge PR win if nothing else for Ford and domestic auto makers in general.

 

The Ecotec in the Malibu gets 32.....

 

That's the hybrid Malibu:

http://www.gm.com/vehicles/vehicle.jsp?xvxid=08_69

Edit: Nevermind. I think they have the same highway milage.

 

I don't know that this is a big thing requiring exclamation points. The G6, Malibu, and Aura Ecotec cars get 33 mpg highway, 6 speed auto. The 4 speed auto cars get 30 mpg highway FYI.

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/byclass.htm

 

When the XFE Cobalt was announced, getting 1mpg better than the competition, it was a big deal. And this was with a manual.

The Fusion is not a big deal??? Yes, it is a 6-speed auto also.

Thats funny, because I thought that fuel mileage was the number 1 selling point right now.

BTW, nowhere in my thread did I bash GM in any way.

 

I personally never thought the XFE was a big deal. Manual only, purely crap tires specifically designed to offer the least rolling resistance, etc.

The new 4-pot Fusion is a nice enhancement, and 34 mpg is nothing to shake a stick at, but it isn't so far out of the realm of simple advancement that it requires a IMHO.

 

I also do not think it is the next coming of Christ.

However, all I was doing is announcing some insider news. Much like most FYI posts.

Compared to the current Fusions fuel economy, this is a pretty big advancement, however. This is why there was an exclamation point (the thing that everyone seems to be annoyed about).

 

Any idea at what price this will come in at? In order to get the 6-speed auto on the Malibu you need the LTZ package which starts at about $27k. Well loaded at that price however.

 

If it is as horrible to drive as I felt the current 4-cylinder is, then the mpg wouldn't be enough to sway me in it's favor. I'm more interested in the twin-turbo 4-cylinder's mpg. It sounds like a potential game-changer to me!

 

Reviews of the new 2.5L 4cyl have been very positive. NVH is greatly improved.

The Fusion will not have any other auto trans available, thus, you should be able to get the 2.5L 6-speed auto version in every trim level.

 

Yahoo - Document Has Expired

 

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080725/ford_...ucts.html?.v=1

 

That is for 2008. For 2009, you can get the A6 on the 1LT packages. Much better pricing.

 

2.4/6spd auto is standard also on all Aura's and on everything above a Malibu LS.
33mpg vs 34mpg. Fusion is still ugly as sin.