From Fusion to Fusion: My Ford Fusion Diesel Plus (TDCi/DuraTorq)

[kamalakannan]

TD a Ford Fusion Diesel Plus. Not sure if i had more expectation here goes my view

TD Environment/Conditions:

Location : Bangalore (May be trivial!).
Place with max Speed Bumps/Concrete Roads.
Load: 5 People
Place with more deep turns.

Score (1-10)

Power: 5
Handling: 8
Visibility: 9
Ground Clearance: 9
Seating Comfort: 9
Styling: 8 (My view did have different opinions)
Interior: 9
Space: 9

Overall : 6 (Diesel ! )

Comments

Turbo helps only at higher RPM's
68 BHP is definitely at a lower side in diesel
Did like that ODO's/Interior's

Its really a fusion of Hatch and SUV.

[Glass]

Originally Posted by kamalakannan

TD a Ford Fusion Diesel Plus...
Score (1-10)

Power: 5
Handling: 8
Visibility: 9
Ground Clearance: 9
Seating Comfort: 9
Styling: 8 (My view did have different opinions)
Interior: 9
Space: 9

Overall : 6 (Diesel ! )

That wasn't accurate arithmetic averaging!
Power is not the greatest, but is decent imho, and definitely so for the city. And you forget it when you stretch your rupee on the road!

Originally Posted by kamalakannan

Comments

Turbo helps only at higher RPM's
68 BHP is definitely at a lower side in diesel
Did like that ODO's/Interior's

Its really a fusion of Hatch and SUV.

I read turbo kicks in beginning 1200 rpm, i.e., at a lower rpm than several other cars - hence being one of the better diesels for the city. Peaks at 2000.

[kamalakannan]

Originally Posted by Glass

That wasn't accurate arithmetic averaging!
Power is not the greatest, but is decent imho, and definitely so for the city. And you forget it when you stretch your rupee on the road!


I read turbo kicks in beginning 1200 rpm, i.e., at a lower rpm than several other cars - hence being one of the better diesels for the city. Peaks at 2000.

Yeah you are right! But I never said it was not a penny saver.

I agree average was not calculated by regular means. Why did i do that? Gosh! ........... It was intentional ... kidding! I gave more weight to power cause for the segment where Fusion is playing.
FF Petrol scores could vary from the above since this was only for diesel. yet TD the same. Get back to you on that!
This was comparing all the other diesel vehicles. It scores 6 out of 10 in comparision with other vehicles. No hard feelings Glass.

This is a score based on my parameters you are welcome with your score even keen to know that!.

I feel the turbo is effective only at 2000 RPM. You know i need the drag feeling sometimes somehow i miss it in FFPD.

[kamalakannan]

My honest feel abt FFPD is just a styling of a Hatch/SUV. Technically it is not.

[srini09]

Originally Posted by kamalakannan

TD a Ford Fusion Diesel Plus. Not sure if i had more expectation here goes my view

TD Environment/Conditions:

Location : Bangalore (May be trivial!).
Place with max Speed Bumps/Concrete Roads.
Load: 5 People
Place with more deep turns.

Score (1-10)

Power: 5
Handling: 8
Visibility: 9
Ground Clearance: 9
Seating Comfort: 9
Styling: 8 (My view did have different opinions)
Interior: 9
Space: 9

Overall : 6 (Diesel ! )

Comments

Turbo helps only at higher RPM's
68 BHP is definitely at a lower side in diesel
Did like that ODO's/Interior's

Its really a fusion of Hatch and SUV.

Would beg to differ. Driving thro the gear the right way ensures a much better performance from this car. Knowing when the turbo kicks in makes a difference. This car can accelerate through the gears much better than most people can imagine and reaches speeds in excess of 100 km/hr in no time. You won't even notice. Trust me, when driving through the right gear, you will never feel short of power.

Srini

[Glass]

Originally Posted by kamalakannan

This was comparing all the other diesel vehicles. It scores 6 out of 10 in comparision with other vehicles. No hard feelings Glass.

Absolutely reasonable Kamal. Like I said in my evaluation posts, there are no bad cars in the market whatever - it is just a match of what you need against what combination each car offers - and Fusion+ Diesel matches my requirements perfectly. But if it is raw power that you rank highly, there are other cars that deliver what you need better - possibly a 110bhp Verna - your car, your weightages.

Originally Posted by kamalakannan

This is a score based on my parameters you are welcome with your score even keen to know that!.
I feel the turbo is effective only at 2000 RPM. You know i need the drag feeling sometimes somehow i miss it in FFPD.

I have my evaluation and what I have ranked higher in my opening posts - you will actually see I started with high power as one of the requirements only to review it later on in favour of a diesel.
And yes, my opinion is that the lag is relatively much better compared to some other diesels - but that is my opinion from my TDs.

Originally Posted by kamalakannan

My honest feel abt FFPD is just a styling of a Hatch/SUV. Technically it is not.

Well, no where does Ford claim it is a SUV. It is a differently designed car and either one likes it or does not like it. And to me, positioning is a marketing term from my MBA days. Either I like the styling or I don't - and obviously I do - and so I own one and care little for how Ford India segments the markets or positions the product! Thanks.
cheers:

[kamalakannan]

TD' ed a FF Petrol (Base Version)

Comparision of FF+D and FFP (Base)

Engine
Overall Length (mm) 3989 4018Displacement (cc)
1399 1596 Power (PS@rpm) 68@4000 101@6500 Torque ( Nm@rpm) 160@2000 146@3400Kerb Weight (kg) 1180 1140

[shankar.balan]

youre absolutely right
they ought to have made some little cosmetic/ visual differentiation between the wheel covers and real alloys - atleast it would please the guys who bought the upper end fusion shod with alloys!
small ways to add value and somehow the manufacturers tend to miss out on doing them!

Originally Posted by sukiwa

thanks for correct link.

Wonder why Ford opted for same design for alloys & full wheel cap/cover.

[ramkya1]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

youre absolutely right
they ought to have made some little cosmetic/ visual differentiation between the wheel covers and real alloys - atleast it would please the guys who bought the upper end fusion shod with alloys!
small ways to add value and somehow the manufacturers tend to miss out on doing them!

I have written earlier in many forums and still maintain that Ford Marketing Sucks big time..... bumbling idiots.

Who else would make such an senseless decision; where brand differentiation was needed for the upper end brand look what they have done.

Look @ historic data when Fusion was launched, it had no competition, it was unique, the Petrol version was pretty powerful with the highest GC and their posotioning was as messed up. They have made a series of MKTG mistakes that would be material for a case study how a brand can be destroyed. Such a wonderful offering like Fusion had all the potential to carve a new sub-segment if they had priced, positioned and backed up the brand.

--Ramky

[Glass]

I have just completed 600 km and am quite happy so far. Here are my impressions:

Space: Every one who has seen the car felt that the space was very good. I had a couple of 6 footers and they were happy fitting in at the rear. There is adequate head room and elbow room. In my Santro, I can rest my elbow on the right door rest and still handle the steering - but the extra space means your hand has to be on its own - but not a complaint really. The height and shape result in a feeling of roominess around your head both in front and rear which I liked, as against the compactness of most sedans.

Driveability: Comfortable in the city and on the highway. Decent pickup and no hassles in the city either. But this definitely needs a re-calibration of one's driving style - the gears and power availability scale is markedly different to a petrol, and this needs some adjustment to really get the best from the car. Though it is not a raw power machine, it very comfortably zips and zooms.
The car is wide but easy to maneuver in traffic. Good all round visibility - never faced a blind spot. I got a light RTO approved sunfilm and that practically does not hamper any visibility, day or night. I plan to get parking sensors however, because my parking is tight and there are kids around.

Handling: Great confidence over curves. I take a slightly longer route via Banjara Hills just for the fun of driving over curves and slopes. The control is terrific and the grip is solid. You can sail through a narrow space between two cars or inches away from the right divider at high speeds without a doubt on whether the car sticks to its lane - you can confidently snake through traffic (for want of a better word). The steering is slightly harder than what I had seen in a Verna or SX4 but I guess that is what gives the extra confidence and control (it is hydraulic).

Comfort: Quite comfortable. One difference I noticed is that the car swings like a boat over deep pot holes or speed breakers, given its higher stance. Not necessarily a good or bad thing, but this is definitely different. Ride quality was decent and at least I do not perceive it any harder than a sedan. It is quite silent (not as much as petrol, though) but I will explore if the horns can find a place farther from the cabin.
The a/c is an absolute chiller.

Rattles & noises: None so far. I however hear a very rare metal squeak over speed breakers from the rear right, need to get it checked at first service.

Other than that, I am happy with my decision and had at least 4-5 guys on the road so far asking about the car and its mileage. And yes, some of my circle find it a fantastic car and some wonder how I forgot to buy the boot.

[breezydrive]

Many congrats - Glass ! keep updating about your new drive.
Pl. post a picture of rear luggage area.

[Glass]

Originally Posted by breezydrive

Many congrats - Glass ! keep updating about your new drive.
Pl. post a picture of rear luggage area.

@breezydrive
Sorry for the delay.

[ms001]

hey Glass, nice review there, just wanted to know whats the millage you are getting in the city.
And any idea about the millage that the petrol gives.

[Matt]

Hi ms001,
i own a petrol FF+ 2005 model. I get around 10 kmpl in stop n go traffic with A/C switched on always. That's with the xtrapremium petrol. I have never tried with normal petrol. In Highways, I gets slightly above 17KMPL; with same type of fuel, constantly touching speeds over 120kmph, and with A/C.

[ms001]

Thanks for the quick reply those are good figures for a 1.6 liter beast