SEDAN IS COMFORTABLE, USER FRIENDLY AND FRUGAL
Piloting the Fusion Energi creates an almost Zen-like calm, even in heavy traffic
Terrific! I’ve now figured out the absolute best reason for owning a plug-in hybrid, and it has nothing to do with superior fuel economy or reduced emissions. It’s the fact the recharging stations at the local IKEA are located close to the store entrance.
I cast aside skepticism regarding hybrid vehicles years ago, and I’m more than willing to look upon them as useful, efficient and, sometimes, even fun to drive. Truth be told, though, I haven’t exactly waded into the even more fuel-efficient plug-in hybrid pond. Call it a toe dip.
So I thought I’d give Ford’s Fusion Energi a try. I’ve always thought the mid-size family sedan a handsome design and, in top-line Platinum trim, suitably upscale for the price. Sure, it’s no longer the last word in plug-ins, but it’s still pretty good. But now Ford wants to retire the entire model lineup — and several others — after this generation because car sales are in a steep dive and supposedly everybody wants to drive a crossover. Frankly, I believe this action is both extreme and premature.
FoMoCo has introduced a number of tweaks for the 2019 Fusion, including new CoPilot360 driver-assist technology, plus sleeker styling and 20 per cent greater projected all-electric driving range for the plug-in Energi.
It can travel about 1,000 kilometres on a full tank of gas and battery charge, which gives it one of the longest combined ranges — according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — for any plug-in hybrid sold in North America.
Naturally, the beauty of the plug-in hybrid setup is that it uses both electric batteries and a gas engine for power. So, there’s none of this “range anxiety” that’s worrisome to owners of pure electric vehicles. Essentially, plug-in hybrids are electric vehicles until the battery runs down. Then they work like a conventional hybrid. The car’s software, as well as regenerative braking, recycles energy to the battery otherwise lost when the driver hits the brakes. According to Ford, the Fusion Energi’s all-electric range is an estimated 34 km. During my week with the Fusion Energi, I averaged 6.0 L/100 km, with a significant portion of highway driving, which is not a hybrid’s strongest suit.
Under the hood of the front-wheel-drive Fusion is a 141-horsepower, 2.0-L Atkinsoncycle four-cylinder engine — same as in the Fusion hybrid, the one you don’t have to plug in. On the alternative power side, there’s a 118-hp electrical motor/generator, with lithiumion batteries to save weight and generate more power. Combined maximum output is a useful, if not particularly scintillating, 188 hp. Then again, the Fusion is a family sedan, not a sports car.
It still feels eerie, gliding off on electrical power in total silence. The only time I heard anything approximating noise was when I needed maximum A/C to cool off a hot interior, the extra load causing a thrum from under the hood. Even the four-cylinder kicks in unobtrusively when gas power is required. If nothing else, piloting the Fusion Energi engenders almost Zen-like calm.
Acceleration is reasonable, thanks to the instantaneous torque from the electric motor. The sedan’s ride is on the comfy side, although the car’s Michelin Energy Saver tires don’t help the cause. A fuel-efficient passenger tire, its low-rolling resistance lets the Fusion coast along for great distances without throttle, allowing the battery pack to recharge. The problem is that there’s not much give to them, and even the smallest road imperfections are felt. Is that an acceptable compromise for better fuel economy? Maybe.
Less acceptable are the Energi’s brakes, or more specifically, the amount of regenerative braking — which is to say very little. The Fusion would benefit from something similar to the Chevrolet Volt’s “regen on demand” paddle on the back of its steering wheel, which helps recoup more energy when braking.
The other big compromise to the Energi is the lack of trunk space, thanks to the location of the battery pack. It’s a paltry 232 L, about half that of a regular Fusion and some 100 L less than the Fusion Hybrid.
In Platinum trim, the Energi’s cabin is a very comfortable, suitably upscale environment befitting the top trim level’s $45,000 sticker price. Muted yet complementary two-tone colours, quilted stitched door inserts, and a rotary gearshift are just some of the nicer touches. And not only does the instrument panel offer a full range of information for the most fuel-frugal of drivers, it’s polite as well, thanking you for driving a hybrid upon exit.
As hybrids go, the Energi loses some of its technical edge to the newer mid-size plug-ins — the Honda Clarity, Hyundai Sonata and Kia Optima being the most obvious. But it’s user friendly, competitively priced and genuinely comfortable.