By Craig Cheetham

July 2002

• Rating:

What do you get if you blend a city car with an MPV, an off-roader and an estate car? Answer: Ford's Fusion - a mixture (or fusion, if you like) of all four model types. But does the newcomer really introduce a new dimension to the market, or is such apparently mould-breaking practicality simply a clever marketing ploy? Auto Express was first to climb behind the wheel and find out on UK roads. And, for good measure, we brought the UK's most practical supermini along, too.

Honda's talented Jazz is the manufacturer's most innovative small car since the earliest Civic in 1975. And it has already beaten the Ford Fiesta in our group test, thanks to its interior space, economical engine and crafty seating arrangement. It's smaller than the Fusion, but it compensates for a lack of external dimensions with clever packaging. The Honda also looks more at ease with itself than its Ford counterpart, which has a challenging profile.

The Fusion's wheelbase appears too long for its stubby body while the nose is blunt and drops away sharply. Stacked headlamps, similar to those on the new Vauxhall Vectra, flank a nondescript black grille. The design is neater at the rear, however, thanks to the use of Fiesta-style tail-lights, while a low sill makes light work of loading bulky objects into the useful boot. All the same, we still feel the newcomer lacks the flair of other Ford products.

No doubt familiarity will make the Fusion appear less quirky, while its tall-riding suspension and boxy rear end are intended to tempt buyers who would otherwise choose an off-roader. The Jazz, in contrast, feels and looks like a supermini, albeit one with a high roofline, deep body panels and a more angular stance. And although Ford claims the Fusion is unique, drawing similarities between these two is easy. Both have excellent carrying capacity because the seats fold into the floor to produce a loadbay of mini-van proportions. Indeed, the Fusion is even going to have a fold-flat front passenger seat by the time it goes on sale in September. As a result, it should be able to carry loads up to 2.3 metres long. This feature was absent from our test car, an early production model, but will be standard on all Fusions by the time the range is officially launched.

While it might boast more outright luggage space than the Honda, it's harder to liberate the Ford's extra cubic inches. Whereas Jazz owners simply lift up the seat base and pull a lever, making the most of the Fusion's interior involves opening all four doors, sliding the front seats forward, pulling two straps and operating two levers. It sounds complex, but the chairs fold away neatly, with the car's low floor allowing the front seats to be slid back over the levelled rears.

With everything folded into place, the Ford offers a spacious interior, in which a variety of plastics and light-coloured materials combine with a vast glass area to give the cabin an airy feel. It benefits from more rear legroom than the Jazz and the seats are supportive and comfortable, while huge door bins, a centre-console cubby and a lidded tray on top of the dashboard provide plenty of stowage space for your bits and pieces.

Anyone who has travelled in the latest Fiesta will recognise the Fusion's facia straight away. The dials, controls and air vents are lifted straight from the hatchback and have a mature, well laid-out feel, although in our view they are less stylish than the Honda's.

The comparisons don't stop there. Our test car was fitted with the Fiesta's 1.4-litre TDCi engine, and it's this unit which comes closest to the Jazz's 1.4-litre petrol powerplant in terms of cleanliness and economy. The blue oval's Duratorq diesel emits 118g/km of CO2 as opposed to the Honda's 137g/km, but the Japanese model scrapes into a lower tax category because of the three per cent levy imposed on diesel engines. Owners of the Ford benefit when it comes to the pumps, though. While we're impressed by the Honda's combined fuel returns of 52mpg, the Ford can travel nearly 65 miles on a gallon of diesel.

Co-developed with PSA Peugeot-Citroen, the Fusion's all-alloy engine weighs less than 100kg, so its relatively low output of 67bhp isn't too much of a compromise. However, it isn't quick - 0-60mph takes 15.5 seconds. But peak torque of 160Nm is available from 1,750 to 2,500rpm, so the Fusion is flexible and feels lively around town, with a snappy gearchange and powerful brakes. Take it out of the city, however, and a few weaknesses start to appear. Acceleration to motorway speeds seems to take for ever and, although the engine is impressively refined at the legal limit, frequent downchanges are needed to keep momentum on inclines.

Honda's petrol engine is quicker off the mark and employs intelligent valve timing to ensure it is always operating at peak efficiency. On twisty roads, meanwhile, the Fusion appears to have the upper hand with the good steering and sharp-edged handling we've come to expect from Ford. This is coupled to a firm but not uncomfortable ride. But it's round town where both of these cars shine and, although the Honda is the shorter of the two, it's the Fusion that is easier to drive in busy traffic due to its excellent visibility and a high driving position. It also has a usefully tight turning circle.

Whether this will be enough for the Fusion to satisfy Ford's claims that it is innovative remains to be seen. Granted, at first sight, the newcomer brings in a fresh dimension of styling, yet it's one which doesn't particularly excite. The Fusion is, however, an immensely practical machine and that tidy handling makes it satisfying to drive. In addition, a wide range of trim and engine options are set to give it mass appeal. Ford has thrown everything into the Fusion's recipe, but is the result going to convince potential buyers that it's more than just another small hatchback? In some areas yes - in others, no. Perhaps the extra practicality of the Fusion+, which is expected before the end of this year, will prove to be more persuasive.

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