Those who choose the Hybrid will be given a complimentary call from Alan Mulally – the CEO for Ford Motor Company. He apparently called up Michael Snapper – a lawyer from Grand Rapids, Michigan – and thanked him for choosing their car over the Prius. Now that is what I call customer service.

Obviously this is not very realistic or practical for Mulally to be doing when there are other tasks he should be worrying about. It is also an obvious publicity stunt in hopes that more consumers would want to receive a personal call for getting the right car. We want to know, does this call make you want to buy a Ford vehicle? As for Mulally we say good luck in the hundreds of phone calls you will have to make.

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It begins with the Base Fusion S model – which starts at the price of $19,270 and is equipped with a brand new 2.5 liter four cylinder, six speed manual engine. The most expensive model is the Fusion Hybrid comes in at $27,270 – which is only slightly higher then the $26,150 for the Toyota Camry Hybrid.

Before you cringe at the price consider what it is produced with. The Fusion Hybrid is built with Ford’s brand new EcoAssist gauge cluster that may be worth the extra money. On top of that the fuel economy inside the city is at 39 mpg. This is 6 mph more than the Camry Hybrid.

Here is price list for the different models:

Fusion SE: $20,545 (2.5L 4, six-speed manual)
Fusion SEL: $23,975 (2.5L 4, six-speed auto
Fusion Sport: $25,825 (3.5L V6, six-speed auto with SelectShift)
Fusion Hybrid: $27,270 (2.5L Atkinson, E-CVT transmission
Fusion S: $19,270 (2.5L 4, six-speed manual)

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With the new looks also comes the new engine options. There are three engines in the line-up to choose from. The first engine is a brand new Duratec 2.5 liter 4-cylinder engine that pushes out 174 horsepower and 172 pound foot or torque.

The second engine is a reworked version of the 3.0 liter V6 engine that pushed out 240 horsepower and 228 pound foot of torque. The third engine option is a 3.5 liter V6 engine that pushes out 263 horsepower and 249 pound foot of torque. Each of these engines will be connected to Ford’s 6F35 six speed automatic transmission.

Ford has not yet told us what kind of fuel economy is. They did say that the four cylinder’s fuel economy will increase 10%. This will be the time when Ford will be introducing the Fusion Hybrid and Mercury Milan Hybrid. Both will feature SmartGauge and can move up to 47 mph when in an all-electric mode and a range of 700 miles. However, the 2010 Fusion will not come with any turbocharged, direct-injection EcoBoost power trains.

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The Sport Appearance package will be available for the SE and SEL models. Exterior enhancements include 18-inch aluminum wheels, body-color fog-lamp surrounds and a unique rear lip spoiler. Fusion’s three-bar over two-bar grille also gets a smoky “black chrome” look.

On the inside the package gives the Fusion charcoal black trim with red stitching. Aluminum trims also shape out the radio and radio controls. For the seats, customers can choose from the special red-splashed cloth seat inserts or red leather inlays on the optional leather seats.

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The 2007 Fusion models come standard with side-impact and curtain airbags, an upgrade over 2006. The 2007 models offer Sirius satellite radio and DVD navigation. A front passenger seatback that folds down comes on 2007 Fusion SE and SEL models, making it possible to haul extra-long items, and the 2007 Fusion SE has been upgraded with fog lights and 16-inch wheels.

The Fusion offers a choice of V6 and four-cylinder engines. The four-cylinder offers a five-speed automatic, an impressive feature that offers smoother, more fuel-efficient operation. And the V6 comes with a six-speed automatic, a feature associated with top-end luxury cars. A five-speed manual gearbox is available with the four-cylinder engine.

The Fusion was second in the Midsize Car category in the 2006 Ideal Vehicle Awards survey conducted by AutoPacific, beaten out by the nearly identical Mercury Milan; the survey focuses on how close automakers came to meeting the desires of the vehicle’s target audience. The Fusion won in the Medium Car segment, beating out the Honda Accord and new Volkswagen Jetta, in Strategic Vision’s Total Quality Study, which looks at things gone right, things gone wrong and dealership experiences after 90 days of ownership.

The 2007 Ford Fusion comes with a choice of front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive. Fusion comes in three trim levels, the S, SE and SEL. The standard engine for all of them is the 2.3-liter four-cylinder Duratec rated at 160 horsepower. A five-speed manual transmission is standard, a five-speed automatic transmission is optional ($850). A 3.0-liter V6 engine producing 221 horsepower coupled to a six-speed automatic transmission is available in the SE and SEL trims.

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Ford is now determined to regain its footing in the car market. The Ford Fusion just may be the right answer and just in the nick of time. In any case, Ford appears to have done its homework. Based on the highly praised Mazda6 sedan, the Fusion is a rock solid entry at a decent price. It handles well, looks purposeful and delivers good value for the money.

The 2006 Ford Fusion was launched with front-wheel drive, but an all-wheel-drive version will be available later in calendar year 2006. The mid-size, four-door sedan comes with the choice of two engines, three transmissions, and three trim levels. All trim levels come standard with a 2.3-liter 160-horsepower four-cylinder Duratec engine coupled to a five-speed manual transmission. A four-speed automatic transmission is optional ($1,095).

The Fusion S ($17,345) comes standard with air conditioning, four-wheel disc brakes, tilt/telescoping steering wheel, power door locks with remote keyless entry, power windows and mirrors, AM/FM stereo with four speakers and a single CD/MP3 player.

The SE adds a six-way power driver seat, two additional speakers, redundant speed and audio controls on the steering wheel, dual illuminated mirrors in the sun visors and carbon fiber center stack applique.

The SEL adds fog lamps, 17-inch wheels, automatic temperature control, upgraded wood or piano black interior trim, premium six-disc in-dash CD/MP3 player, leather wrapped steering wheel and an analog clock.

A 3.0-liter V6 engine producing 221 horsepower coupled to a six-speed automatic transmission is available for the SE and SEL. (No manual transmission is offered with the V6.)

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