Ford may be the only U.S. automaker to make much of an effort at the Los Angeles Auto Show, but the oldest American car company has quite a lot to show us. Besides a new edition of its iconic Mustang, Ford is premiering the 2010 editions of its midsize Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan twins.
Autoblog reports, "The updated 2010 Fusion is technically a mid-cycle refresh, but it's much more than your typical face-lift. Three years after the Fusion and its Mercury Milan and Lincoln MKZ siblings debuted, Ford has given them a major stylistic overhaul fore and aft of the doors and inside the cabin."
Outside, the look is dominated by a huge chrome three-bar grille and sharply raked headlights. It has more presence than the outgoing model.
Inside, Autoblog says, "all major interior surfaces of the Fusion and its siblings are now covered in a soft touch plastic, which gives a decidedly more upscale impression than before." An improved stereo system will be standard, and "Ford is continuing to enhance its telematics system by adding a 911 assist system, automatic accident reporting and vehicle health reports"
The Milan version, Jalopnik says, "does benefit from a more shapely profile than its predecessor. The general buyers who opt for the new Milan over its Ford or Lincoln siblings will probably be more interested in that visual enhancement than the upgraded 2.5-liter four-banger or the revised V6 now putting out 240 HP, up from 221 HP in the previous model."
It's still visually very close to the Ford model, but a less pronounced hood bulge and smaller headlights somewhat distinguish the two. The two-tone interior theme that many appreciated in the original Milan is back, with new perforated leather seats and satin aluminum trim.
The biggest news, however, is that both models will feature a hybrid option for the first time.
Autoblog Green reports, "The Fusion (and the Mercury Milan hybrid) feature the new SmartGaugeTM with EcoGuide that grows leaves when the driver uses a green foot. The benefit -- aside from the pretty pictures -- is the ability to go over 700 miles on a tank of gas." Actual MPG figures have not been released, but Ford claims both cars "offer class-leading fuel economy, besting the Toyota Camry hybrid by at least 5 mpg in the city."
Jalopnik adds, "The car can operate in all-electric mode all the way up to 47 MPH which not only saves fuel but keeps things whisper quiet."
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