DETROIT: Ford is adding serious EcoBoost muscle to its Fusion sedan in an all-out assault on more expensive German sport sedans.
Following on the success of Explorer Sport, which has seen one in five buyers come over from recent Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz experiences, Ford has its eyes not only on owners of V6-equipped Toyota Camrys and Honda Accords, but some other distinguished German models that command a five-figure premium over the 2017 Fusion Sport.
Since the newest-generation Fusion launched in 2012, midsize car buyers have been asking for a performance version, said Ford Fusion marketing manager Wade Jackson.
“It’s not just Fusion buyers who want something hotter,” said Jackson. “Owners of other midsize sedans, along with our own dealers, ask repeatedly. So buyers get a 2.7-litre EcoBoost that makes 325hp and a more impressive 515Nm of torque.”
These consumers also crave a car that’s much more distinctive inside and out, said Jackson. “Cross-shoppers will be shocked by the bang for the buck our new Fusion Sport delivers,” he said.
Peak torque of 515Nm from a 2.7-litre twin-turbocharged EcoBoost engine makes Fusion Sport stouter than established performance sedans like BMW 535i, Audi A6 3.0T and Mercedes-Benz E400. Ford Fusion Sport torque rating is achieved with 93-octane fuel.
Ford has reason to be confident with its newest sport-minded offering. While Explorer sales rose 24 percent from 2013 to 2015, Explorer Sport jumped 103 percent. Edge sales were close to flat over that same period – mostly due to model changeover – but Edge Sport jumped 62 percent.
The 2017 Fusion Sport starts at a very un-German sports sedan price of US$33,475 (RM137,000), and that’s with all-wheel drive as a standard feature.
