Ford’s Camry Killing Fusion Hybrid Rolls Out

By. Matthew C. Keegan

Unlike General Motors and Chrysler which have chose not to hold press conferences at this year’s L.A. Auto Show, Ford is using the show as an opportunity to roll out several new models including the Ford Mustang, Lincoln MKZ, Mercury Milan and the Ford Fusion. The centerpiece of the automaker’s next generation Fusion and Milan is hybrid technology, a first for Ford’s popular mid-size sedans.

The hybrid model is the biggest newsmaker as the 2.5L engine (paired with a six-speed automatic transmission) gets class leading city fuel economy, what Ford says will be 6 mpg better than the comparable sized Toyota Camry Hybrid. If that assertion holds up, then the Ford Fusion/Mercury Milan Hybrid will return 39 mpg in the city based on the 2009 Toyota Camry Hybrid’s EPA certified fuel economy of 33 mpg. In other words, the Ford twins will have the best city fuel economy of any car on the road, even beating out the Smart ForTwo and any diesel or other hybrid model.For the driver who prefers something besides a gas-electric hybrid, the Ford twins offer three engine choices when the new models go on sale in Spring 2009: a 2.5L I4, 3.0L Flexfuel V6, and a 3.5L V6. Across the entire model line, six speed automatic transmissions are standard, helping to maximize fuel economy with these five passenger sedans. Ford says that this new combination will increase fuel economy by 17% with the base engine and 10% for the other engines, a trend in the right direction for an automaker scrambling to provide a much more fuel efficient fleet of passenger vehicles.Will the Fusion Hybrid be the death of the Toyota Camry? Not hardly. The Camry remains the best selling car in America with approximately 500,000 units sold in good years. However, Ford is making a strong case for buyers to consider the Fusion given that the Camry offers just a five-speed automatic transmission and its own hybrid now trails the Fusion in city fuel economy.For Ford, which is reeling under stiff financial pressure, the new models cannot come soon enough. Perhaps consumers will sit up and take notice that Ford is in the fuel savings game to win.