NEW 1.4 TDCi FORD FUSION PLUS - My Impressions

[shankar.balan]

Drove the brand new FUSION TDCI 1.4 "PLUS".

For 8 lacs of Rupees this is a very expensive car. Yes. Car. Because it doesnt know frankly whether it aims at the SUV Market or the Car Market and there is a relatively negligible STATION WAGON market yet in India.

It s great for the driver and one or two passengers.

Lovely engine. Great Fuel economy, comfortable. Lovely to drive in the city etc.

The new Fusion plus has some nice goodies like alloy wheels and ABS/EBD etc at the price but still, when you look closely, you will think twice about it.

I am wondering why Ford gives 7 spoke alloy wheels which look pretty much the same from a normal viewing distance, as the normal plastic 7 spoke wheel covers which they anyway give.

Would it not have been more sensible to have a different design of alloys instead? atleast then, the guys who shell out for a Fusion Plus would get some small differentiation from the regular Fusion!

Space/ Storage and rear passenger space is not sufficient according to me.

Four persons with their luggage going on a holiday will find it irritating and in my case atleast, I am clear that all the luggage, golf bag etc will not fit into this car when my wife is in the front seat and my Mum and Dad are using the rear seats.

Just for Info - a full sized golf bag with 14 clubs in it, does not fit into this car unless one portion of the rear seat is pushed down.

Nice idea. Good toys. Good in the city. Good on long distance (I am sure) but strictly a car for 2 people plus lots of luggage.

I d say that it is a bit too expensive at 8 lacs despite ABS/EBD, Alloy wheels etc etc.

If I were that loaded I d buy it as a fun, extra car!

[vinit.merchant]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

Drove the brand new FUSION TDCI 1.4 "PLUS".

It s great for the driver and one or two passengers.

Lovely engine. Great Fuel economy, comfortable. Lovely to drive in the city etc.


Space/ Storage and rear passenger space is not sufficient according to me.

Four persons with their luggage going on a holiday will find it irritating and in my case atleast, I am clear that all the luggage, golf bag etc will not fit into this car when my wife is in the front seat and my Mum and Dad are using the rear seats.

Just for Info - a full sized golf bag with 14 clubs in it, does not fit into this car unless one portion of the rear seat is pushed down.

Nice idea. Good toys. Good in the city. Good on long distance (I am sure) but strictly a car for 2 people plus lots of luggage.

I d say that it is a bit too expensive at 8 lacs despite ABS/EBD, Alloy wheels etc etc.

If I were that loaded I d buy it as a fun, extra car!

This is surprising to me. I haven't done any TD of this one but The car looks very spaciaous from the outside.
In fact there was a time when I was thinking of going for the 1.6 petrol just because of the space it offers (atleast from the outside looks). I chucked the idea because the 1.6, I heard, is not as torquey and as drivable as a Palio 1.6 (which was another option i had) and also because of the initial cost plus the Ford's high cost of maintenance, which is not uncommon.

I had never thought that it could have space issues !!!

[Technocrat]

rear passenger space is not sufficient according to me.

I had similar experience when I sat in a colleague's Fusion & was quite shocked myself

[sanjayatarizona]

Hmmn.I did do a TD on the petrol version a couple of years ago, and space was not an issue with 3 folks on the back, though 3 @ 100+kgs/ 6ft plus is a different issue alltogether.

The boot is of decent size and should fit normal travel luggage requirements. Maybe a sleek looking removable luggage rack on the roof would help with bigger stuff.

Long story short, goddamn expensive car as in VFM, expensive spares, no airbags option, almost universally screwed up A.S.S is resulting in its backside being kicked all around the park.

Could have been a cash machine for Ford..

[vinit.merchant]

Originally Posted by sanjayatarizona

Long story short, goddamn expensive car as in VFM, expensive spares, no airbags option, almost universally screwed up A.S.S is resulting in its backside being kicked all around the park.

Could have been a cash machine for Ford..

The Ford seems to be backing Flair for sales with reduced rates of 4.5 ex showroom. Funny.

There could hav been many takers for the Fusion with reduced prices IMO. It has already sold decent numbers at current prices.

The Fiesta seems to be doing well. Saw quite a few TDCi on roads.

I think Ford's going Fiat way, as we witnessed few years back.

[karanraheja]

The Fusion should have been a little cheaper. It could have done well had Ford priced it competitively. I had TD the car Awesome ground clearance, was not satisfied with overall space inside. Would be a perfect car for weekend getaways !

[gemithomas]

That sounds interesting. I always thought the fusion was best at interior space. THough the front seats are very small.

[devarshi84]

If Skoda can sell 300+ units or whatever the numbers, Ford fusion certainly deserves as much respect. The car is as great in every way as the Fabia with much more extras.

The car is getting penalized because of the way the company is handling the model.

[Firebird]

I TDed Fusion Plus TDCi as soon as it was re-launched in March 08. I was ready to shell out 8 lakhs for Fusion Plus as I like Fusion as a concept.

Found it to be spacious with lots of cubby holes and pockets and places....May be because I am used to seeing Palio. For me car was top notch compared to the interiors of Palio . But The Fiesta SXi has best interiors IMO.

I found engine to be on the rough side with no fun to drive....a pure FE oriented engine. It was difficult to overtake in Mumbai trafic with Fusion D. Best for crusing.

The wipers switch arrangement was so confusion...even the sales girl could not figure out how do I make both front and rear work at the same time with front at intermitent speed (lowest).

The headlamps switch is totally different. There is a rotary knob on the dash on the drivers right side to turn on the lights and then pull toward driver to switch on fog lamps....why the hell they try to innovate rather than stick to normal.

The suspensions were good.

The surprising fact found was Fusion Petrol is longer than Diesel. The Diesel is just below 4 and petrol is just above 4. All other dimensions same. Will get the figures tomorrow.

The price....8.25 On road Mumbai .....thats too much for Fusion (not a penny more than 8 I am ready to spend). I was actually ready to book...but somehow was hesitant considering the Spare price for Fusion to be on the higher side comparing other ford vehicles.

Nut shell...I liked the Fusion + TDCi. If ford is going to take care of the maintainance for next 3 yrs same as GM...then I am ready to buy that...

OT - But....Finally the Family mindset made me look for Dzire and booked ZDi.

[aruncheloor]

Im intending to buy a Ford Fusion + TDCi in the next week...white colour.. found it as the best in its class... the smallest SUV possible.. good for both city & highway... The price is 7.54 laks here in Trichur, kerala.... The only thing im worried of is the Resale value... can anyone give me a hint on the resale values of the earlier petrol versions?? Im sure the TDCi will be having more resale value..

[vinit.merchant]

Does anyone know about the FE this car returns for both versions - Diesel & Petrol?

[DaiusPitar]

Originally Posted by Firebird

I found engine to be on the rough side with no fun to drive....a pure FE oriented engine. It was difficult to overtake in Mumbai trafic with Fusion D. Best for crusing.

The suspensions were good.

The price....8.25 On road Mumbai .....thats too much for Fusion (not a penny more than 8 I am ready to spend). I was actually ready to book...but somehow was hesitant considering the Spare price for Fusion to be on the higher side comparing other ford vehicles.

Nut shell...I liked the Fusion + TDCi. If ford is going to take care of the maintainance for next 3 yrs same as GM...then I am ready to buy that...

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

For 8 lacs of Rupees this is a very expensive car. Yes. Car. Because it doesnt know frankly whether it aims at the SUV Market or the Car Market and there is a relatively negligible STATION WAGON market yet in India.

It s great for the driver and one or two passengers.

The new Fusion plus has some nice goodies like alloy wheels and ABS/EBD etc at the price but still, when you look closely, you will think twice about it.

Space/ Storage and rear passenger space is not sufficient according to me.

Four persons with their luggage going on a holiday will find it irritating and in my case atleast, I am clear that all the luggage, golf bag etc will not fit into this car when my wife is in the front seat and my Mum and Dad are using the rear seats.

Nice idea. Good toys. Good in the city. Good on long distance (I am sure) but strictly a car for 2 people plus lots of luggage.

I d say that it is a bit too expensive at 8 lacs despite ABS/EBD, Alloy wheels etc etc.

If I were that loaded I d buy it as a fun, extra car!

A thought...

Why not the Safari 2.2 VTT LX over the TDCi Fusion Plus?

The Fusion might have better FE, ABS, EBD and better build quality. However, its better on the highway than on the city? More space than a car but still not there yet.

The safari 2.2 LX
- is only Rs. 25,000 more OTR than the fusion in Mumbai,
- significantly more space,
- a better highway distance cruncher,
- maintenance and *** would not be much different with the safari's extended warranty,
- spares might be cheaper,
- suspension and ride is better
- Seemingly better lower end grunt than the fusion for city driving (any other take on this?) Overtaking is not that much of an issue in the safari compared to the fusion in my opinion.

These were my feelings after TD both this weekend. I would have plonked for the fusion if the price difference between the two was a minimum of Rs. 50,000 compared to the current Rs25,000/-. That too with the extended warranty in the safari LX

If I wanted something for the highway, why settle for the fusion when I can get so much more with the safari. The only thing again that would make me consider the fusion would be the FE and the ABS/EBD. Nothing else that I can think of. Have I missed something? Parking in the city? Possibly.

Other things from ICE onwards can always be customised to one's taste and budget.

Cheers

[vinit.merchant]

Originally Posted by aruncheloor

Im intending to buy a Ford Fusion + TDCi in the next week...white colour.. found it as the best in its class... the smallest SUV possible.. good for both city & highway... The price is 7.54 laks here in Trichur, kerala.... The only thing im worried of is the Resale value... can anyone give me a hint on the resale values of the earlier petrol versions?? Im sure the TDCi will be having more resale value..

Ford cars do not have good resale value. Buy it only if you intend to keep it for a long time.

[shankar.balan]

poor resale value for most Ford cars. typically, to break even on your investment you will need to keep the new FOrd for atleast the duration of your 3 year or 5 year loan period, or else you will lose out.
However, if you are definitely buying the TDCI may I suggest you go for the Fusion TDCI PLUS which comes with Alloy wheels, ABS and EBD as standard. Plus each month Ford Dealers give some decent freebies with it. In March they were offering a free CD MP3 player with speakers and a full set of floor mats etc.
good luck and happy driving

Originally Posted by vinit.merchant

Ford cars do not have good resale value. Buy it only if you intend to keep it for a long time.

[shankar.balan]

i would seriously suggest the Scorpio LX - Ive bought that and actually chose it very easily over the Fusion Plus TDCI and the Safari VTT 2.2 both of which Ive reviewed on this site...

Originally Posted by DaiusPitar

A thought...

Why not the Safari 2.2 VTT LX over the TDCi Fusion Plus?

The Fusion might have better FE, ABS, EBD and better build quality. However, its better on the highway than on the city? More space than a car but still not there yet.

The safari 2.2 LX
- is only Rs. 25,000 more OTR than the fusion in Mumbai,
- significantly more space,
- a better highway distance cruncher,
- maintenance and *** would not be much different with the safari's extended warranty,
- spares might be cheaper,
- suspension and ride is better
- Seemingly better lower end grunt than the fusion for city driving (any other take on this?) Overtaking is not that much of an issue in the safari compared to the fusion in my opinion.

These were my feelings after TD both this weekend. I would have plonked for the fusion if the price difference between the two was a minimum of Rs. 50,000 compared to the current Rs25,000/-. That too with the extended warranty in the safari LX

If I wanted something for the highway, why settle for the fusion when I can get so much more with the safari. The only thing again that would make me consider the fusion would be the FE and the ABS/EBD. Nothing else that I can think of. Have I missed something? Parking in the city? Possibly.

Other things from ICE onwards can always be customised to one's taste and budget.

Cheers