[McLaren Rulez]

Unfortunately, whatever happens now, the Fusion is dead. Its a resale nightmare and the money you lose when you sell it will be too much to make it a logical buy. If you don't mind that factor, then its a good deal but 90% of buyers do consider this aspect.

[shubhodeepdas@g]

Vote for Fusion

After using one for 4 years, and test driven all the others it's the best deal one can get. Yes it's dated as compared to the Punto, Fabia, Jazz.. would not count the Korean as its a Styling Nighmare.

Why the Fusion!

Well I would not call it a Super Hatch or Hot Hatch, but it's a one stop solution for your City and Highway needs. Petrol or Diesel it's downright frugal. Driven Bangalore - Kolkata and it was a Gem. I cannot imagine doing that in any of the others. Probably the Punto (Diesel) would come a close second.

And Power!

Someone pointed that the engine is too big for Indian roads. Well, we have been made to believe by the likes of Suzuki that we are only good for underpowered engines that struggle to pull out with 5 adults in it. A 1200kg + vehicle needs the 100+ horses or the 150+ torque, (or both).

Drive the others immediately after a Fusion Petrol. You will know. Hyundai has just realized that they were selling a car without an engine, they have corrected the i20 after that (comes with 100+ horses now in diesel and petrol). The Punto 1.4 gets all its power after you cross 4500 RPM, and that's just too much of a wait, it just fails in delivering the torque.

Won't get into Drivability and Handling. It has the Ford's 'Driver's Car' badge and a point and shoot steering. Body roll is minimal for it's size, no one has so far Puked being on Ghat Roads in the car, ever.

Space!

There is no contest here with the Fusion. Have travelled cramped with 7 adults + driver and luggage, it can pull. 5 adults can actually sit straight. Over 4 years you forget that knees actually can touch the seats in the front.

Practicality..

It is practical, but it's a tad too big to hang around in all the time alone. But then who are we kidding, people do that with an Innova.

Going for a second hatch in a month+.

Getting a Punto. Why??
Well, already have a Fusion. The Fabia has Skoda horror stories. The Jazz costs as much as a spacecraft with propellers (thats no power to pull that flower pot you just put in after folding the fancy seats). 9.44 L on road with everything on Bangalore roads, are they kidding!!

Punto, is again a Hot Hatch, with a little more edge over the Swift in terms of Space. Hope that the Punto gets a worthy power-plant or at least tuned similar to the Swift Diesel.

And someone asked "why no swift!!"

Well swift is a Hot Hatch. Small cute, practical city drive. But not a Super Hatch.

Drive safe, drive wise.

Das

[smilenow]

Originally Posted by lamborghini

I have read reports that the Punto is slow from the start which would impact its performance in the city, making it a pain to drive in traffic.

Totally subjective,i bought the punto for its drivability in traffic rather than brute raw horsepower. This car is not "under-powered",its just plain and simple "heavy",its octavia style heavy.

But it is not a pain to drive in traffic for sure.[subjective opinion]

[Matt]

Completely agree with shubhodeepdas@g.
I own FF+ petrol(ABS) - oldmodel , and let me tell you its problems, short comings and advantages.

Problems :
1. FORD A** is nothing great and on top of it most of the ford mechanic guys have no clue about Fusion. Most of of the times I had to sit with them and explain them what to do. I guess this is not the case with Fiesta. Well that is my impression about the Ford service centers in Hyderabad. But at Kairali Ford Kottayam (Kerala), I had a much better experience.

2. Occasional rattling from Door Panels.

3. Body parts are very costly(for the new model it is reasonable). Engine components and most of the other stuff is shared with Fiesta, so not very costly.

4. A flat spot between 1300 and 1800 RPM on my 1.6 petrol. This is not a real problem if you re used to the car.

5. Not so great interiors. The plastic that you see in the inside(again talking about old model) looks cheap but it is actually good quality; Exactly opposite to that of Swift.

6. Low speed ride is harsh.


Shortcomings:
1. No Airbags. Such a miss in wonderful highway car. Atleast they should have it as an option(like ABS).
2. No 4WD option.
3. No Dead Pedal. Again a good to have feature on highway rides.
4. No projector lamps.


Plus Points:

1. Good GC, that means peace of mind in Indian Roads. No underbody scraping on badly designed speed bumps, potholes etc.

2. Good/Commanding seating position for driver. Couple of months back I drove from Hyderabad to Kerala with out any Halts. I was as fresh as a daisy after that 975 Km drive.

3. Powerful Engine :Never felt under powered( 1.6 Petrol), with 5 Adults and half of my house inside it(that was a very long vacation). In the power section, it can give all the other "super hatches" mentioned above run for its money. Engine is very peppy above 2800 RPM.

4. Handles very well. No Body Roll at all.

5. Superb A/C. Chills you down even the Hyderabad Summers. Moreover Engine does not feel sluggish with A/C on.

6. Not Undertyred: No Skinny Tyres, Not under sized.

7. Spacious. It is a comfortable five seater with good rear leg room. Luggage space is also very good. And whats so radical about Magic seats?

8. Good All round visibility.

All in all its a good package which can not be repalced by any of the options above.

[chennai-indian]

Ford Fusion will be discontinued soon - probably as early as September - October. I liked Fusion too but the price point at which Ford launched it initially almost killed it.

[devarshi84]

Here is one thing that confuses me.

All the super hatches are prices 6-8 lacs. It's the same range in which the Ford fusion sells. How is it expensive?

People argue about steering mounted controls and climate control in comparison to more space.

The only mistake I see Ford doing with the Fusion is bringing it before time. Maybe they should've plonked a smaller engine and priced it at 5-6 lacs.

And yes Airbags shouldnt have been given a miss.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Not "super" hatches. Very ordinary hatches.

I don't suppose we would get anything actually "hot" or "super" for less than ten or fifteen lakh --- and we all know what the reaction to such a car would be.

This is unfortunate, as it allows the manufacturers to market anything slightly more impressive than a Maruti 800 as a hot/super hatch!

[Samurai]

For Karnataka roads, and specially where I live, Fusion is the only sensible choice. When roads have moon craters and WW-I trenches, climate controls and airbags don't make sense over 15 inch wheels or huge GC.

[autocarcr]

Would be the new entrant Grande Punto- It has everything and more that a hatch needs at a lesser price than the i20. Look at the post here and youll know http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...ml#post1380423

Try something new for a VFM car! Anyway it looks like it is a neck to neck finish.


There was another thread with the same poll too: http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indian...your-eyes.html

The GP won hands down there! I dont know where the dated Ford fusion came into the fight- its too costly for the features it gives, its part of the older generation now and it needs to be replaced (probably by the Ford Focus hatchback or the Fiesta hatchback)

[Guna]

I have voted for Fusion eventhough it doesn't fit in to 'hatch category (it's a crossover).
What it lacks is just the airbag ( personally I dont think ACC is a real necessity)
What it offers over other listed competitors here are:

1. Cabin space which is actually more then some C segment sedans
2. Ground clearence, critical in India
3. Power (0-100 in within 12 secs)
4. Luggage space of 330 ltr if you are just loading it till the lid. If you remove the lid, it can hold more then some C segment sedans.
5. Commanding view and all round vissibility with almost nill Blind spot (thanks to the quarter window at the back insraed of the think C pillar)

Besides it has very tough build quality and decent handling (steering is a sheer joy!)
Ride feels little stiff over broken surface but the stability at high speed is excellent (result of stiffer suspension set up)
Interior is utalitarian.

[Glifford]

Well to he honest, I have not voted myself. I have a Fusion, but not sure if that is the reason to vote for it. FIATs have always been my first love and narrowly missed getting a Palio 1.6 (see my signature). Today I don't regret it. The Fusion has turned out to be a much better all round car for me.

1. Extra space when I need it.

2. Great mileage too (10.5+ consistently in Bangalore City Traffic).

3. Excellent highway abilities

4. Handling that can hardly be matched by anyone besides the Punto and Swift.

5. Excellent responsive steering that can throw Swift out of the contention from point above.

6. Best (across several classes) ground clearance.

7. And a lot more.

But would I recommend it for any new small car buyer in that budget? Well certainly not. Fusion drivers in India are a different breed. Slightly eccentric if you may. They don't agree to typical stereotypes that big cars should have a boot. The Fusion is an enthusiast's car.

Now talking of features. Well when it was launched, the Fusion (forget even the +) was loaded. Everyone here is talking of Punto, i20, Ritz and the likes. Yes the i20 has 6 air bags, but how many i20s you see on the road have so much as front fog lamps? Or Swifts with rear power windows?

Yes the Fusion is old now. But then even the basic model ones have sufficient features that hold it above base models of the names you mention. Having a fully loaded flagship makes no sense if hardly any of the cars sold belong to that trim.

And yes, Fusion+ (loaded except for Airbags) retails (with discounts) for a shade over 7.5 Diesel and 7 Petrol in Bangalore (from what I last heard)

Back on the vote. Well. For most buyers, I would recommend a Punto. But for those who want something different. Nothing can beat a Fusion.

Originally Posted by amit V8

when it was launched, it was ok (not good though) but now, it has shown it's age. the european market has a refreshed one, the american market has a sedan, but the this one is really bad. i vote for the sexy beast-the punto.

As already mentioned by Glass. It is the same version as the one in the EU. Except for a few gizmo and safety features being removed. Mechanically it is identical. Even the engines and their respective outputs. They just have a 1.6 TDCi Diesel too that is the best of both worlds.

The US Fusion is a whole different machine and it does not share anything except the name and the shape of the headlights. They are totally different, ground up!

Originally Posted by filcord

If Ford gives the Fusion+, with ABS, alloys, and a 3-year maintenance guarantee like GM has, at around 6.5-7 lakhs on-road, I would buy it for my next car.

The Fusion + already has ABS and Alloys and it had those well before any hatch (most sedans too) had any of those.

Actually had written a mail on the Fusion group on my ideas of how to refresh the Fusion and bring it up to date:

1. Most Fusions that sell now are the Diesel. Now people don't rank it highly in performance, only in Mileage. The FIAT (Vista, Swift) MultiJet Diesel 1.3 is a much better Diesel. And so is the Hyundai (Verna, Getz) 1.5 CRDi. Petrol Fusions are now made to order (at least what we heard).

2. The Fusion has been around half a decade with no major changes. So it is "old" as compared to those. Back then, it's feature list marvelled (+) and no car in the segment had half as much. Sadly when Ford introduced the renewed version, it had taken off the +. And when the + did come back, it still has several features missing of the older + (rear cig lighter, leather steering+gear knob, body cladding, all seats have map lights, baggage net etc.). Now new cars like the Fabia, i20, Jazz and Punto have a lot more to offer (atleast on paper). All have airbags... atleast 2 (i20 has 6)

3. This is what Ford needs to do. Get a new + or ++ or whatever. Load it to the brim with features. Airbags are a must and so also leather knob+steering (Fiesta 1.6 has them), map lights, rear cig lighter socket, cladding etc. Other features like rear parking sensor (yes it does come after market, but OE is always better), power fold mirrors (not necessary), climate control, 16" alloys (now even Punto has the 15" alloys), climate control AC, leather seats (Fiesta SXi has 'em), follow me home headlamps, steering mounted controls (for OE stereo), single touch power windows, etc. will add to the "WOW" factor. Of course it will not be on all models, but as long as the flagship has it, people consider it highly. Even the specific variant they buy does not have half of the trip.

4. Get the 1.6 TDCi (excise waivers be dammned). How much more will it cost than the 1.4? They can safely drop the 1.6 DuraTec then! Will silence all performance hatch wannabes for good. They can use that engine elsewhere too (Fiesta/Focus?)

5. If they can, get a 1.2 petrol for the excise norms and drop prices (optional). Take off gizmos, central locking, rear power windows, fog lamps, and other value adds that an econo concious customer will not consider.

[sachinayak]

My Vote goes to the Ford Fusion.

I do NOT own a Fusion. But plan to do so sometime later this year. The choice of vehicle was fairly straightforward. My requirements (in terms of priority, highest first) were/are as follows

1. Needs to comfortably sit 5 (not necessarily full sized) adults.

2. Needs to have high ground clearance (given the really bad state of BLR roads). Specially with the new drainage creation drive, all roads in and around my house ideally need off-road capable vehicles.

3. High seating position (guess after driving a Santro for a few years am addicted to this, I have owned a zen for long and just don't feel comfortable driving it now).

4. Hatch only. Easier to drive in the city.

5. Good highway manners. We tend to drive out of Bangalore fairly regularly. We love to travel.

6. Decent boot space (related to above reason).

7. Small rear windows are a strict NO-NO. Rules out most Suzuki hatches. Cant stand the claustrophobic effect they create.

8. Needs to have some "uniqueness" or "exclusivity". Having driven a car when practically everyone around you would have the same, this is important.

9. Poor resale value (while someone starts wondering why, I am looking for a used car. Something with poor resale suits my budget perfectly).

Honestly I do not see anything else coming even close to meeting my requirements other than the Fusion. I wish Ford looks closely at this thread (not my post).

[Glass]

Originally Posted by JayD

...It looks ugly, ...

This is subjective JayD, many buy the Fusion for its looks!

Originally Posted by pedrolourenco

What about the spares of the Fusion. Ford have a habit of overcharging for spares. Availability of spares of some models too is an issue. I would say Punto or i20.

Spares is a problem - not justice denied but delayed - that the simplest plastic piece needs you to order and wait for it to arrive from Chennai. The spare costs are not too bad now, barring some which I think are still imported. The recent autocar paints a reasonable picture compared to other brands.

Originally Posted by chennai-indian

Ford Fusion will be discontinued soon - probably as early as September - October. I liked Fusion too but the price point at which Ford launched it initially almost killed it.

Source?!!! Even Ford vehemently denies any such plans.
As Devarshi put it, the price is in the bigger hatches league. But if you look at it as everything but the boot of a Fiesta (even if you ignore the Fusion specific plusses), it is costly only if Fiesta is costly.

Edit: I especially like this masculine butch look. Source: a Ford site.

[chennai-indian]

Originally Posted by Glass

Source?!!! Even Ford vehemently denies any such plans.
As Devarshi put it, the price is in the bigger hatches league. But if you look at it as everything but the boot of a Fiesta (even if you ignore the Fusion specific plusses), it is costly only if Fiesta is costly.

I got this from a reliable source Sorry that I cannot reveal who they are.

[balajird]

If Fusion is going to be discontinued, is there any replacement model planned by Ford? The facts about Fusion makes me wonder why none of the other manufacturers tried a cross over like this, with high GC, bigger alloys and a roomy car.