Ford Fusion hybrid

That's sad too ... though it's hard to say whether that was because Ford didn't expect it to really take off fast out of the gate, or (like the original Honda Insight) whether Ford never intended to promote it as a Prius killer.

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I doubt Ford was going after Prius, since the Prius is smaller than the Fusion, but was a direct competitor for the Camry, hence most fuel efficient in "its" class. The Prius is NOT in its class, no matter what magazine puts it there. The FFH is also selling at MSRP, no discounts at all, and in this economy, that's a hard sell. I tried to buy one last month, since the car sat for two months on their lot, but they wouldn't budge on it. It is still sitting on their showroom floor, going on 3 months now, a long time for a car to sit. Add to that no special finance rates, and the sales will be low.

 

Note the fine print with those Ford claims. They say something like "among non-hybrid models". The Fusion comes in both hybrid and non-hybrid configurations.

Tom

 

And its holding true too. I get 31 MPG in the Sport with the big V6. Not too shabby.

 

Quite impressive. I haven't driven a Fusion, but I intend to.

Tom

 

It's not a direct competitor. Relatively few are built compared to the Prius and every one is sold as soon as it hits the lot. That makes it the opposite of a "fail"... a complete success.

 

I'm a former Ford engineer (wife and I both drive Prius right now). Car companies see major risk in starting a new platform or a new major update that enters new markets, regardless of the competitors' experience. Ford almost certainly is keeping the volumes low until the car proves its viability. The amazing thing is that the engineering was well-funded (I know some folks there) and that the project came to fruition. It's unnatural for a US OEM to do this level of innovation, and kudos to Ford (and to GM when they succeed) for actually releasing the car in such a terrible capital market. This is the sort of thing a company can really lose its shirt on, and Ford has a long memory for risky mis-steps. Among them is applying the kind of engineering process used for Ford's new powertrain/energy system.

For me it'll be a "must try out" when it comes time to replace one of our Prius'.

Road Fan

 

Ford Fusion Hybrid Wins 2010 Car of Year Award - ABC News

not totally unexpected, but still: wow!
good for Ford!

 

Some years back, Ford was close to dropping the external keypad. However, Ford did customer focus groups before making a final decision. Ford found, first, that most men didn't care for the keypad and never used it. But Ford also found, second, that the keypad was liked and used by a significant number of women.

In their terms, and not suggesting that all/most women feel this way, the explanation was summarized something like this: Men can grab the keys / key-fob out of a pocket very quickly and easily; women cannot always grab the keys / key-fob out of their purses quickly and easily -- and prefer to do so inside the car where they are safer. Hence, the keypad is used for entry.

With women buying a substantial percentage of cars sold, and affecting the purchase of still more units, Ford kept the feature.

 

"The amazing thing is that the engineering was well-funded"

That sums up so much which has happened at Ford. It's not widely known -- though you most likely are aware of it -- that the first mini-van was designed and engineered at Ford. The clay model was done too, as I understand it. The proposal then went to final consideration for production.

Henry Ford II refused to fund production because it would have had to have been funded with debt, which he was unwilling to let the company take on.

A while later, Lee Iacocca was shown the door by Henry Ford II. After taking the Chrysler position, he hired a number of designers and engineers ... including a number who had worked on the mini-van project. It's conjecture, but possible, that some of those who were hired did not show up for work at Chrysler empty-handed. With much of the design and engineering done, Chrysler brought it to market, and the rest is history -- with almost all the auto companies building mini-vans eventually.

Had Ford introduced the mini-van rather than Chrysler, it would have been the "Big Two" a long time ago.

As a pure guess -- no knowledge either way -- I'd bet that Wm Clay Ford Jr would have pushed hard to fund the Fusion Hybrid. I understand that he is very serious about environmental issues.

 

Quite so! Before introduction, my Ford dealer told me that the target was for 5% of Fusion production to be hybrid models.

 

The Fusion Hybrid is also a "must" for Ford, given the mpg standards coming in the next several years. The Japanese, the European, etc producers have had home markets where fuel costs have been consistently very costly. That has allowed those manufacturers to invest in developing high mpg vehicles ... and selling them in the U.S. to the extent of demand at any point in time.

By contrast, Ford kept trying to develop fuel-efficient vehicles for the U.S. which could give a positive return on investment, with that investment largely spread only over U.S. and Canadian sales. They knew they needed a "world car" to capitalize on Ford of Europe's (and other areas) experience, but kept botching it up internally.

The Ford Focus is Ford's first true "world car" despite claims so many years ago about the Escort being such, and others since then. Focus sales outside the U.S. let Ford invest heavily in producing a great vehicle with high mpg, and to be able to sell them in the U.S. without the U.S. focus having to pay for all its own design & engineering. Finally, Ford has a vehicle on which that's spread over several large car markets.

By contrast, the Fusion Hybrid is, first, a "halo" car for Ford. But further, the Fusion Hybrid seems to me to be essential to Ford's ongoing development of the hybrid -- one of the ways to try to meet the coming high U.S. mpg standards. Ford has to be ready to use mature hybrid technology on a large scale basis in the U.S. if that's a necessary part of making their mpg requirements.

 

I think the whole debate surrounding "Prius Killer" is interesting.

Ford Fusion, New Honda Insight, Nissan Leaf or Chevy Volt...at some point or another someone attachs the term "Prius Killer" to it.

IMO Prius has a decade head start as a mainstream "alternative" automobile and for most of that time period Prius really had little to no competition. (Honda Civic Hybrid, Insight....Accord...aside)

So are Ford Fusion Hybrid, New Honda Insight, Nissan Leaf and Chevy Volt, Prius Killers? Well despite differences in technology, size and vehicle class I certainly would call them all competition.

It's a compliment to Prius in a way, when your competition is so directly gunning for a piece of your market that your competition is labeled as "Prius Killers".

One of many things Toyota has done well is their support of The Prius. They supported popularity even when "popularity" did not really exist. For me, right now as a potential hybrid consumer, even given The Ford Fusion Hybrids' media accolades and reports of it being a very good product with such a limited release, I just don't have the same confidence in Ford backing the product as I do with Toyota backing The Prius.

When a company says "Were going to start out slow, just incase this isn't popular or isn't profitable" that's like telling me they aren't 100% commited. One thing I'm sure of is Toyota is 100% commited to Prius.

 

Ford has a tradition of keeping "in demand" vehicles in demand and purposely limiting production.
My first hybrid was going to be a new 2008 Mercury Mariner hybrid. I put a deposit down and was told that Ford only builds them once they get an order (at the time). I waited 4,6, 8 10, 12 weeks...nothing. I called to check on the status and the dealer told me that because gas prices went up (above $3), Ford stopped building hybrids and put all the production into gas-only Escapes and Mariners (because larger SUV's weren't selling).
I canceled my order, got my deposit back and never looked at another Ford product again.

 

Do you think Toyota were 100% commited to Prius when it was first released on the market?

 

That's an interesting question and without real behind the scenes access to very high management of the time, I can't honestly say I know. My memory of US release and the early days of 1st Generation is very "personalized" I will concede.

Obviously I wasn't an early adopter. I remember personally seeing commercials and advertisements for Prius and at the time my thought was the whole technology was too untested. I have always been interested in the concept, but especially first generation I did not want to be in that wave of consumer.

But the difference is, even with that personal decision, I remember still feeling I could if I wished go to any Toyota dealer and drive off the lot with a Prius.

By contrast, local Ford Dealers barely have 1 maybe, and only maybe 2 Ford Fusion Hybrids on the lot. Some simply have none.

But you are correct it's more a feeling that Toyota has been supportive and so has earned the reputation of a company that backs it's Hybrid Vehicles. I hope for wide spread competition and growth in the whole genre but I can't say I feel the same commitment from any American Car Company.

It will take more than a limited release of The Chevy Volt, or fantastic accolades for The Ford Fusion Hybrid for me to "believe" that Ford or GM is really commited to supporting the product.

It's okay, some of this like with Prius will just take time. My hope is that in 5-10 years there are several automakers with established alternative automobiles within their respective line-ups.

Also perhaps I'm jaded by my hanging around Prius Chat and other Hybrid, Alternative Automobile websites but my feeling today is clearly Toyota IS 100% commited to Hybrid Technology and expanding Prius and the technology.

 

A week after picking up my new Prius V with ATP, my relative was notified that her Milan had arrived from Mexico (it's an Import). She and I had test drove the V-6 version and the Mercury Milan hybrid, and the Hybrid was a very nice car with decent power and loads of features and comfort. In the end she got the V-6 because she liked the power, and does not commute to work in her car, she takes the train. The fuel savings that might drive one to pay more for the Milan hybrid just did not apply, but having experienced the two versions of the car, I must say I was favorably impressed. Just not enough to avoid buying my new 2010 Prius V. Incidentally the Ford incentives, like zero financing do not apply to the hybrid. The salesman said it was because Ford already loses money on the cars.

The car was black with black interior, and very sharp. It would not be a mistake to own one from what I saw. For me the Prius just offers a lot more to justify the Toyota, but Ford has done a very respectable job on the Milan.:yo:

 

I have mentioned elsewhere here we had a down payment on a Prius a year or two ago. We enjoyed the test drive and the interesting dash. As time went by we went back for a second test drive, took it on the highway and back roads but a nagging feeling was bothering me, my back was not comfortable in the seat and the drivers side leg room was just a touch too short. We travel to Fla often and seem too carry way too much with us, that said we cancelled our deposit reluctantly. Must say, McGee Toyota of Bostons south shore was very gracious. Slowly i am moving towards the Fusion, i feel the extra room and all the standard xtras are well worth the price. Now if someone would just come out with a Taurus or Lucerne or fullsize VW, Merc, i would buy that in a heartbeat. Have tried the Camry hybrid, not too my taste.