Source: AutoVerdict
March 21, 2018
by Nick Saporito
Ford is doing anything they can to keep the Fusion midsize sedan competitive. The company has revealed the 2019 Fusion, which has gone under the knife with styling tweaks and is offering a host of new standard features.*
Most of the market may be gravitating to SUVs and crossovers, but with an all-new Toyota Camry and Honda Accord on the market, the sales pressure is intense on the aging Fusion. The 2019 refresh marks the second refresh of the base car, with this refresh modifying the front and rear fascias to appear more modern than today's car. Ford has also revised the rear deck of the car a bit; again with the goal of modernization.*
While one has to squint their eyes intensely to see the exterior design changes, what is clear is the new standard equipment list. The 2019 Fusion will come standard with Ford's Co-Pilot360 suite of active safety features. This suite includes*automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, blind-spot and rear-cross-traffic warning systems, automatic highbeams and automatic wipers. Of course, Ford is doing this because both the Accord and Camry already offer such features as standard fare.*
Fusion Energi has also gained a new 9-kWh battery pack, which increases the car's electric-only range to 25 miles.*
In addition to more standard gear, Ford has also cleaned up the trim levels on the Fusion. Fusion SE has dropped the 2.5-liter four-cylinder in favor of the*1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder. SE buyers also gain an eight-inch touchscreen with SYNC3, 4G LTE WiFi and dual-zone climate control on the standard equipment list.*
Additional standard equipment has been added to the SEL and Titanium trim levels as well, while the top-end Platinum trim has been discontinued for 2019.*
Ford says the 2018 Fusion can be had in 2,000 different combinations, while the 2019 model has been pared down to 36 variations. This stark difference is likely an effort to simplify manufacturing of the car and increase the value proposition on one of the brand's oldest models.*
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