Description
Unlike its American sibling with the same name, the European version was based on the supermini Ford Fiesta, with a longer wheelbase and a higher ground clearance.
While other European car-makers already offered station-wagon vehicles in the small segment, Ford didn't but made a different vehicle based on the same platform as the Fiesta: the Fusion. It was a fusion between a small-segment hatchback and a station-wagon and lifted the suspension.
The car's front resembled the Fiesta image with the squared and swept over the hood headlights, but with a different grille design. An additional grille on the lower part of the bumper enhanced the car's image. The car featured rounded edges to sweeten the overall boxy look. In the back, the taillights were mounted vertically on the rear side of the D-pillars. A different suspension made the car taller, with higher ground clearance. It was, somehow, the beginning of the crossover in the European crossover family.
The interior resembled much of the Fiesta's cockpit, but a two-tone scheme for the dashboard was typical for the Fusion. Thanks to its bigger wheelbase, the rear passenger legroom was bigger, but there was hardly enough hip- or shoulder room for three adults since the car was narrow.
Ford installed some engines from the Fiesta and the Focus range, such as the 1.4-liter and the 1.6-liter gasoline units. The diesel versions were those developed together with Peugeot-Citroen, with the same displacement as those with spark-plugs. The standard transmission for the entire range was a 5-speed manual.
