Drive the Fusion Hybrid frugally, and watch as the display's leaves and vines grow (when the virtual branches become truly lush you're doing especially well). On the other hand, make jackrabbit starts, drive too fast, brake late and hard (producing little regen), and you'll start dropping leaves like a Vermont sugar maple in October. Sounds silly, perhaps, but from behind the wheel it's a remarkably effective motivator. After all, who wants to be the earth-thug who hears from the back seat, "Daddy! You've lost all the leaves!"
"We didn't simply want a display of numbers to indicate fuel efficiency," says Sonya Nematollahi, Ford driver information supervisor on the Fusion Hybrid project. "We wanted to create an emotional connection between the car and its occupants, an instant 'reward' for driving efficiently. At first, we tried an entire forest, but that was too much. Customers liked just a few vines of leaves much better." Ford developed the Efficiency Leaves, plus the Fusion Hybrid's unique SmartGauge with EcoGuide high-res LCD displays, in concert with human-factors consultancies IDEO and Smart Design. The automaker also conducted extensive research using its Dearborn-based Virtual Test Track Experiment (VIRTTEX) simulator, which, much like a professional flight sim, combines an actual vehicle cockpit with highly realistic "views" and multi-axis motions. Ford invited potential customers and current hybrid owners inside VIRTTEX to sample and comment upon various dashboard setups -- thereby eliminating designs that might be distracting or confusing. "No other automaker in the world has anything like VIRTTEX," says Nematollahi with obvious pride.
Like the leaves, the SmartGauge with EcoGuide is a winner. Using easy-to-understand arrows and an "EV" threshold indicator, EcoGuide coaches you in real time toward optimum efficiency. Simply drive such that the indicator stays within the constantly moving EV threshold, for instance, and you'll never activate the gas engine. Realizing the potential for info glut, Ford smartly allows drivers to quickly choose any one of four increasingly comprehensive data levels (all of which surround a conventional analog speedo).
They are: Displays on the optional voice-activated nav screen also allow the driver to monitor such data as fuel-economy trends (i.e., how much do you save driving 60 mph versus 70?). While it all may sound overwhelming, in practice the displays are simple and intuitive to grasp. I had no trouble keeping an eye on the road while taking quick glimpses at the EV threshold or Efficiency Leaves gauges. If you're beginning to sense that Fusion Hybrid engineers became obsessed with maximizing fuel efficiency, you're right. And their hard work has paid off handsomely: The Fusion Hybrid will carry an EPA city/highway rating of at least 39/37 mpg (final numbers still TBD). Ford notes with deserved pride that the city number beats Toyota's Camry Hybrid by a whopping 6 mpg. What's more, the numbers aren't theoretical. During the launch drive, I attempted to game the results by gunning away from stoplights and generally doing everything I could to burn up gas and electricity. Yet still I managed a fine 33.8-mpg average. Other drivers, carefully following the EcoGuide displays, were able to record city averages of more than 43 mpg on a similar route. Pretty wondrous stuff -- especially for a luxury-filled midsize sedan. Hear that, Capitol Hill? Detroit is building the trendsetting, high-mileage, high-quality cars (the Fusion tops both Camry and Accord in the 2008 J.D. Power Initial Quality Study) you claim they can't build. Which begs the obvious question: How did Ford do it?
"We looked at everything," says Praveen Cherian, hybrid program leader. "Everything." A few examples: Full pricing is still TBD, but the Fusion Hybrid will start at $27,995 -- about $1100 more than a base 2009 Camry Hybrid. In compensation, the Fusion Hybrid delivers more total system power (191 hp versus the Camry Hybrid's 187 hp), significantly better fuel economy (39/37 mpg versus 33/34), a bolder exterior shape, and a more entertaining chassis. The Fusion Hybrid delivers crisp steering and a taut but not overly harsh ride; it feels like a much sportier car. Add in such draws as Sync and the brilliant, efficiency-enhancing displays, and the Fusion Hybrid makes a compelling statement indeed. Full tests numbers are on the way soon. Meantime, print out this story and mail it to your favorite Washington know-it-all. You might also include this memo: "Hey, D.C.: Motown ain't dead yet. Evidence enclosed."
