The current Ford Fusion has a nice interior, stylish exterior, decent power train options, and is a good value. While that may be working for now, it won’t in the near future.  With Hyundai’s Sonata and Volkswagen’s Jetta taking legitimate shots at the segment’s big guns (read: Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, Nissan Altima), a mild redesign just isn’t going to cut it.

To that end, Ford is borrowing a page from Hyundai’s book and ditching the V6 for 4-cylinder options.  At the same time, it has improved its hybrid offering, and is adding a plug-in Energi trim level, which ought to be interesting.  While the Fusion itself competes against the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord, the Energi plug-in hybrid will compete with the Prius Plug-In Hybrid and Chevrolet Volt.

Aside from the Energi, which is expected to achieve greater than 100 MPGe (gas/electric equivalency), the Fusion Hybrid should be rated at 47/44 city/highway, an improvement of 6 and 8 MPGs over the 2012 model, respectively.  Then there are the gasoline-only engines, of which there are three.  Two EcoBoost engines (1.6-liter and 2.0-liter) will be optional, with a naturally aspirated base engine.  While the EPA hasn’t certified the 2013 Fusion’s various engine options, Ford expects the 1.6-liter to garner 26/37 city/highway mileage.  The base engine will keep prices down, while the 1.6-liter will probably be the volume seller.  the 2.0-liter EcoBoost is the sporty option, and of course the Hybrid and Energi trim levels will be the fuel-economy headliners.

Besides engines, the 2013 Fusion will sport 6-speed automatics, with some trim levels sporting paddle shifters.  Further down the drive train, the Fusion will offer all-wheel drive for the first time, an option previously found only on its Lincoln MKZ sister car.

Enough talk of the drive train – let’s dissect the new sheet metal.  Starting out front, the front grille area is similar to the new Fiesta and Focus, while resembling the front of current Aston Martins.  The hood has sharp creases lifted from the Ford Taurus, as well as swept-back headlights.  The profile is reminiscent of Audi’s new A7 sportback, while the rear end really pulls from the new Focus’ design.  Two character lines run from front to back, one hiding the door handles and the other breaking up an otherwise flat sill area.

Wheel designs are on the sporty side, with very attractive designs, cribbing designs from BMW and Lincoln.  The new Fusion’s taillamps remind me of Ford’s Focus, but having the exhaust outlets integrated into the rear fascia is a classy move.

Inside, it’s more of the same from Ford, which is a good thing.  Ford’s current interior designers are right on the money, improving the cabins on all of its recently-redesigned vehicles.  Comfortable-looking seats feature plenty of bolstering for sportier trims, while a driver-oriented center stack keeps controls at easy reach.  MyFord Touch is present, of course, but it’s MyFord Touch 2.0, with a better layout for less-distracted driving.  An actual volume knob is present, which is one of the most-used controls while moving.

The dashboard on the new Fusion is also taller, which should translate to being better enveloped, versus feeling like you’re riding or driving atop the Fusion.  The instrument cluster hasn’t been touched too much, retaining its dual 4.2″ LCD screens which flank the analog speedometer.  Once the new Fusion goes on sale, check back for my impression of the materials used, but I expect quite a bit of soft-touch plastic, with harder plastics used in lesser-touched areas.

No vehicle redesign is complete without a listing of new technologies on offer, and the new Fusion is no exception.  The highlights include MyFord Touch for infotainment, Lane Keeping System, Adaptive Cruise Control, Blind Spot monitoring (BLIS), Active Park Assist and Auto Start/Stop.

Lane Keeping System helps drivers stay in their lanes by monitoring lane markings and then using a three-tier system to alert drivers.  The first tier uses an audible alarm to alert the driver, while the second tier vibrates the steering wheel to get a driver’s attention.  If all else fails, the third tier actually applies pressure to the steering wheel to keep the Fusion in its lane.

Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) and Blind Spot Information System (BLIS) are already found on other Ford vehicles, and BLIS is currently an option on the Fusion.  ACC uses radar sensors in the front bumper to keep the Fusion a set distance from the vehicle in front of it, reducing engine power and applying the brakes to accomplish this.  BLIS uses sensors on the sides of the Fusion to detect cars where the driver may or may not see them, and illuminating LEDs in the side-view mirrors when cars are found.  The system also detects cross traffic in front and back, to help avoid accidents when pulling out or backing into traffic.

Active Park Assist (APA) uses the aforementioned sensors and electronic power steering to park the Fusion, once a suitable parking spot has been located.

Auto Start/Stop is a feature that has been found on several European-only models in the past several years, but is finally making its way to the US.  When the Fusion comes to a halt, the engine smoothly shuts down, and when the driver lifts their foot from the brake pedal, it’s restarted.  If you idle a lot in traffic, this feature will come in handy in keeping fuel usage down, and should be a must-buy option for anyone who drives in a city environment often.

In the end, the 2013 Ford Fusion should prove to be quite the competition for the stalwart Honda Accord, Nissan Altima and Toyota Camry, as well as Hyundai’s upstart Sonata.  Look for the new Fusion in Ford showrooms sometime this year – but my money is on late spring/early summer.

by John Suit

Source: Ford

Show Press Release

Related posts:

1. Hyundai announces Sonata Hybrid!
2. Ford Sync 2.0, er MyFord Touch
3. Review: 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid

Month-to-month, the big winners were Dodge, Ford, Honda, Nissan, RAM and Toyota.  Year-to-year, all of GM’s brands (Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC), as well as Ford, Hyundai, Nissan, RAM and Toyota had significant increases.  While that may not mean a lot, it shows that cars built in North America are selling at a much better pace than those built in Europe and Asia.  There may be a lot of reasons for this, but I suspect the main one is pricing.  The economy still hasn’t regained a lot of its strength, so buyers are wary of spending much over $40,000, which is where a lot of BMW and Mercedes-Benz products land.  Accords, Altimas, Camrys, Fusions and Sonatas are the bulk of sales for their respective companies, and with gas prices on the rise again, look for smaller cars to win out in the next few months.

Meanwhile, the surprise was RAM, which sold over 20,000 vehicles in February, a feat I doubt it will best if gas prices stay high.

On the negative side of things, Audi, Jaguar, Mercedes, Porsche, Saab and Suzuki had less sales in February than they did the previous month.  While Suzuki is nowhere near a luxury marque, the rest shows just how soft the luxury market is right now.  BMW had a minuscule 500-car increase in sales from January to February, which hardly counts during a month which saw 20-30% increases in month-to-month sales for some of its competitors.

With 1.8-million vehicles already sold this year in America, I’m going to stick with my 12.5-13 million new-car sales prediction.  The actual number of sales may be helped or hurt by rising gas prices, as more truck owners may want to make a trade in order to gain fuel economy.

by John Suit

Related posts:

1. January 2011 Sales Figures and Analysis
2. Sales Figures: September, 2010
3. Sales Figures: October, 2010

I’ve listed the following ten vehicles in alphabetical order by manufacturer.  Let me know what you think in the Forums! (INSERT LINK TO FORUM TOPIC HERE)

Buick Regal

The Buick Regal brings back a tarnished nameplate for the semi-luxury GM brand, using the German engineering of GM’s Opel subsidiary.  By designing the Opel to be more modular, including swapping headlights, taillights and badges, the Regal is a good example of badge engineering, a strategy that hasn’t worked out well for it, Chrysler or Ford.  That’s not to say it’s a bad move for General Motors, since it injects some distinctly European flair into the traditionally stodgy domestic brand.  With rave reviews, the new Regal is off to a good sales start, and works well as Buick’s entry-level car.  For the 2011 model year, Buick will only be offering the CXL trim, with base and Turbo models, starting at $26,995 and $29,495, respectively.  For 2012, the lineup will grow to three trim levels, and production will move from Europe to Canada.  It’s a game-changer for Buick, which needs to bring its average buyer age down a good ways to stay in business.

Cadillac CTS Coupe / Wagon (plus V variants)

For Cadillac to really be the “New Standard of the World,” as their advertising would suggest, they need to compete head-to-head with the likes of BMW and Mercedes.  Taking the CTS sedan’s solid structure and sales and adding coupe and wagon variants goes a long way towards accomplishing this goal.  Expanding the CTS lineup is Cadillac’s first shot across BMW’s bow, and with all three body types containing the amenities and style BMW buyers are looking for, it should hit its mark.  By offering performance-oriented V models, Cadillac is banking on the success of its CTS-V sedan to steal buyers of BMW’s M3 and Mercedes’ C63 AMG.

Chevrolet Volt (also notable: Chevrolet Cruze)

Finally, a mass-market electric car is coming to market.  While it may not be electric-only, the range-extending gas engine should dispel range anxiety – the fear of running out of juice before returning to a charging station.  With government subsidies, the Volt will be starting at around $33,000, but plan on spending another $2,000 or so to charge your Volt in less than 10 hours.  The Volt is competing directly with the Nissan Leaf in the media, even though the Leaf is electric-only.  By sharing its underpinnings with Chevrolet’s upcoming Cruze, GM could design the powertrain and other components separately, which saves the beleaguered automaker untold millions in development money.  It also allowed the General to up its game in the small car segment, where the existing Cobalt has been a non-starter.

Ford Fiesta (also notable: Mazda Mazda2)

With the success of BMW’s Mini and the price of gas, some Americans have started to embrace the truly small car.  The only hurdle left is convincing buyers who have a hard time putting $20,000 into a small car when for a few thousand dollars more, you can get a much larger one.  The trick Ford is using is its SYNC infotainment system and high quality materials, fit and finish, as well as other amenities normally found in larger cars, such as heated leather seats.  The Fiesta also re-starts Ford’s global car initiative, which stalled when redesigns of its Focus weren’t brought to the US from Europe, where the Focus is a much more popular car.  Furthermore, even though Ford sold its controlling interest in Mazda, the two companies are still working together, including the platform that both the Fiesta and Mazda’s Mazda2 ride on.  The Mazda2 promises to be a more fun to drive car, even while the Mazda is cheaper and has less options available.

Hyundai Sonata

After the initial success of the Genesis sedan and coupe, Hyundai is continuing its roll by revamping the  Sonata mid-sized sedan.  Already on sale, the Korean automaker has already moved a significant amount of metal, and for good reasons.  Better-equipped, better materials, and three models to suit a bevy of tastes means the Sonata is really earning its place as Hyundai’s bread and butter car.  Initially, only one model is available, in several trim levels, staring at around $20,000, but soon we’ll see the Hybrid and Turbo models debuting.  Offering class-leading fuel economy, the Sonata is Hyundai’s first attack at upcoming CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) requirements.

Jaguar XJ

Jaguar’s styling seemingly hasn’t changed in decades, but the XF sedan which debuted in 2008 started a design revolution for the English brand.  The XJ continues that, and brings Jaguar into the 21st century style-wise.  The new XJ also brings Jaguar’s electronics up to speed, to compete with Audi, BMW and Mercedes.  As long as the trick electronics hold up, Jaguar could have a hit on its hands, bringing the automaker back into the limelight of luxury cars.

Jeep Grand Cherokee

As I’ve written before, Jeep is rebuilding a legend with the 2011 Grand Cherokee SUV.  With a less truck-like look, ride and feel, but with all the gadgets buyers expect, the Grand Cherokee looks like a winner.  Jeep may lose some of its more rugged buyers, but it still offers the Wrangler to those buyers.  The new Grand Cherokee rides on the last-gen Mercedes ML chassis, which is why it rides better, but its new platform also brings with it a much-improved off-road setup, so it’s a win-win for Jeep.  Chrysler also gets to use this opportunity to refresh its Durango, a less-expensive and more sport-oriented alternative to the Grand Cherokee.

Nissan Leaf

For years, Nissan has been more a niche player than a mass-market manufacturer.  With sales that lag behind that of Honda and Toyota, it has best competed with Mazda.  Both automakers offer fun-to-drive vehicles that sell in smaller numbers, save the Mazda3.  Nissan’s hybrid offerings have also fell behind that of Ford, Honda and Toyota, so it needed something unique to offer in the fuel economy wars.  Enter the Leaf, a small plug-in electric car.  With a range of 100 miles, the Leaf will work for a lot of commuters whose drives don’t include a lot of highway miles.  The downside?  Range anxiety.  As the distance-to-empty meter gets closer to zero, drivers will be looking long and hard for a charging station.  Major markets like LA, D.C. and New York will be building the charging stations, but most owners will be using in-home chargers, which will cost around $2,000.  Reportedly, Nissan will be building the cost of the charger into the cost of purchase or lease, which is a smart move, and the rumor mill also says week-long loaner cars, with regular gasoline engines, will be available.  It’s tough to say how well the Leaf will do, but I expect it to sell decently in the 150 or so markets it will be available, as long as the advertised range stays true when in the hands of consumers.

Scion tC

Toyota’s youth-oriented brand was originally designed to have single-generation vehicles replaced in 4-5 year increments.  With steady sales of its tC model, Toyota executives commissioned a second generation, which ups the tC’s game with fresh design inside and out, as well as the speaker system from the Lexus LX470, a seriously bold move, and one which is bound to sway a fair number of younger buyers who are also audiophiles.

Volvo S60

Long believed to be more into safety than driving dynamics, Volvo needs less boring vehicles.  Enter the 2011 S60 mid-sized sedan, which Volvo has been advertising as being “naughty.”  Completely redesigned, the Volvo offers buyers the safety they’ve come to like, with proper handling and ride to go with it.

by John Suit

Information / Image Sources: Chrysler, Ford, GM, Hyundai, Jaguar, Mazda, Nissan, Volvo

Related posts:

1. February 2011 Sales and Analysis
2. Wrap-up: 2009 L.A. Auto Show
3. Redesigned: 2011 Ford Edge

Apparently, more than the original 2 owners have complained about the steering linkages coming loose in their new Sonatas, and the NHTSA thought it was a serious enough malady that needs correcting.

Dealers will be inspecting the steering linkages in all of the recalled vehicles, and tightening or replacing them as necessary.

The recall is expected to begin in October, and concerned owners can call the Hyundai Customer Assistance Center at 1-800-633-5151.

Show Press Release

Summary: HYUNDAI IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 SONATA VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM DECEMBER 11, 2009, THROUGH SEPTEMBER 10, 2010. ON SOME OF THESE VEHICLES THE STEERING COLUMN INTERMEDIATE SHAFT UNIVERSAL JOINT CONNECTIONS MAY HAVE BEEN EITHER IMPROPERLY ASSEMBLED OR INSUFFICIENTLY TIGHTENED.

Consequence: IMPROPER ASSEMBLY OR INSUFFICIENT TIGHTENING OF THE CONNECTIONS COULD RESULT IN A COMPLETE SEPARATION OR COMPROMISED ATTACHMENT OF THE CONNECTIONS, SUCH THAT THE DRIVER COULD EXPERIENCE A LOSS OF, OR REDUCTION IN, STEERING CAPABILITY INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE STEERING COLUMN INTERMEDIATE SHAFT UNIVERSAL JOINT CONNECTIONS FOR PROPER ASSEMBLY AND TORQUE. IN ADDITION DEALERS WILL UPDATE THE POWER STEERING SOFTWARE FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING OCTOBER 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT HYUNDAI CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE CENTER AT 1-800-633-5151.

Notes: HYUNDAI’S SAFETY RECALL CAMPAIGN NUMBER IS 097. OWNERS MAY ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION’S VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), OR GO TO HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV .

by John Suit

Source: NHTSA

Related posts:

1. NHTSA investigating steering issues on 2011 Sonata?
2. Breaking News: Hyundai stops sales of 2011 Sonata
3. GM Recalling 2010 Cadillac SRX Over Fire Concerns

From what The Detroit News is saying, there’s a universal joint in the steering linkage that can come apart, causing a total loss of steering control.  Hyundai says it hasn’t heard of any accidents or injuries caused by this issue, and in fact they say they’ve only received two complaints.

Two cars out of over 16,000 doesn’t sound bad, but the problem happens without warning, which is bad.  Both cars were reportedly built during the same month (although which month it is hasn’t been released) and had less than 600 miles on them when the issue occurred, so if your Sonata has over 600 miles on it, chances are you’re OK.

by John Suit

Source: The Detroit News

Related posts:

1. Update: Hyundai Recalling 139,500 2011 Sonatas over Steering Issue
2. Hyundai Sonata Turbo Debuts!
3. IIHS Top Safety Pick: 2011 Sonata

With a new look up front and the Hyundai Hybrid Blue Drive system under the hood, the Hybrid model gets 37 mpg in the city, and 39 mpg on the highway.  Usually, hybrids fare better in the city, where their battery-powered electric motors are used the most, sparing the gasoline engine for use at higher speeds.  Due to the way Hyundai engineered their hybrid system, the electric motor’s efficiency is spread across the speed spectrum, allowing such high highway mileage numbers.  It’s also lighter than its competitors, such as the Ford Fusion Hybrid and Toyota Camry Hybrid, which helps out even more.  Added to this, the electric-only operation of the Sonata Hybrid is good to 62 mph, depending on battery charge and acceleration.  This is 15mph faster than the Fusion Hybrid will go on batteries alone.

by John Suit

Source: Hyundai

Related posts:

1. Hyundai Sonata Turbo Debuts!
2. 2010 New York Auto Show: New Sonata Turbo and Hybrid will be there
3. Quick Drive: 2011 Hyundai Sonata