Ford Fusion Hybrid Review

Among hybrid cars, the five-passenger family sedan segment is the most competitive, and the Ford Fusion Hybrid is America’s best-selling example.

Since the launch of Ford’s coupe-silhouette sedan in October 2012 for the 2013 model year, the Fusion Hybrid has been well received, and for 2017, to help momentum along, the car was mildly refreshed.

Revealed in January this year, interior and exterior updates were rolled out for the entire Fusion line, with the Hybrid getting a top-shelf Platinum trim to add to the S, SE, and Titanium. These refreshes kept intact the Hybrid’s gas-electric powertrain but tweaks along with more efficient electric motors yielded 42 mpg combined over the 2016’s 41 mpg.

A quick scan of the HybridCars.com sales Dashboard shows the Fusion Hybrid is holding the line against competitive hybrid sedans which are otherwise all variations on a theme combining front-wheel drive, mid-sized, aerodynamic and contemporary designs. These are, namely, the Toyota Camry Hybrid, Honda Accord Hybrid, Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, Kia Optima Hybrid, and Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid. Upscale but not significantly far above alternatives include the Lincoln MKZ, Toyota Avalon, and Lexus ES hybrids.

In the Ford’s favor, particularly at the upper end, is that the U.S. EPA said the 2016 Fusion Hybrid Titanium (latest model reviewed) took just five months to pay back the $160 price premium over a 2016 Fusion FWD Titanium based on 15,000 annual miles. A $2,160 price gap for the Hybrid SE and non-hybrid Fusion SE takes 4.7 years, assuming the same 15,000 annual miles, 55 percent city and 45 percent highway driving and a fuel price of $2.16/gallon. A $2,925 gap at the Fusion S level, according to the EPA’s idealized numbers, takes 6.4 years – still not bad when the EPA says far longer for some of the household names by other carmakers mentioned above.

Style and Design

The Fusion Hybrid, aside from model-specific trim, wheels, and badging, is outwardly barely distinguishable from the other Fusions right on up to the 2.7-liter twin-turbo V6 Sport model with 325 horses.

Riding on a 112.2-inch wheelbase, and 191.8-inches long overall, the 3,700-pound car blends in on the road. About the only concession one has to make for driving a hybrid is less trunk room – 12 cubic feet versus 16 due to the hybrid system battery. Split 60/40 rear seat backs do still allow cargo pass through, unlike the case with the plug-in hybrid Fusion Energi, so utility is not excessively compromised.

Full Hybrid System

Like the other brand hybrids mentioned, this is a full hybrid, meaning it may use either its 2.0-liter Atkinson cycle gas engine, or its AC synchronous motor, or both. Rated engine power is 141 horses at 6,000 rpm and 129 pounds-feet torque at 4,000 rpm.

The motor contributes 118-horsepower, 177 pounds-feet of torque and the merging of the two is seamless.

Total system output of 188 horsepower is routed through an electronically controlled continuously variable transmission (eCVT) driving the front wheels.

And if you are wondering why the power is only 188 horses and not the sum of the 141-horse engine plus 118-horse motor – 259 horsepower – that is because, as typical for hybrids, the two do not make peak at the same operating speed.

Also per hybrid practice, regenerative braking is employed to send current back to the 1.4-kWh li-ion battery on deceleration. Another hybrid-oriented technology, now finding its way into non hybrids is a stop-start system which shuts the engine off at a standstill.

The Drive

The Fusion Hybrid is quiet when started with the pushbutton in its default electric mode. If the HVAC is cranked up however, the engine may kick on.

Its eCVT transmission saves fuel, and overall with active noise canceling, the Fusion Hybrid is very quiet, muting road, wind, and engine noises.

The Hybrid For You?

Year to date, the Fusion Hybrid’s sales are up 25 percent. Last month the car was bested in the U.S. sales arena only by the perennially best-selling Prius – down 12 percent by the way – and which in years past sold triple the volume of the next-nearest competitor.

Not so this year, and hybrid sedans – the most-competitive hybrid segment – are now mature technology with relatively high mpg in exchange for more-ordinary looks.

You’d still be advised to check out other vehicles mentioned up top, including the new 46 mpg Malibu Hybrid and 48 mpg Accord Hybrid. While marketers say people make emotion-based decisions – with exterior design being a leading motivator – we’ll remind you also what to pay attention to.

This said, the Fusion Hybrid provides a very solid package. Pricing starts at $26,060 for the Fusion S Hybrid. From here it rises to $26,865 for the SE, $31,395 for the Titanium, and $37,895 for the Platinum Hybrid.

Even at a time of inexpensive gas, and as consumers make a run for crossovers in favor of sedans, the 42 mpg Fusion Hybrid can make sense.