It sounds odd as a car name but it's perfectly plausible. Fusion is the latest badge from Ford and we'll be seeing it in Ford's Irish showrooms by late September. A derivative of the new Fiesta it has had a slow drip-feed launch on the Irish market.
Fusion is a blending, or should we say a fusing, of different styles. There's people-carrier or MPV versatility while the ruggedness of the looks suggest a scaled-down 4x4 off-roader.
Big bumpers and its tall shape give it a strong road presence. Ford's marketing people think that that this fact and the strong 4x4 off-road hint, will win the customers.
As for the interior it's huge and fold-flat seats, hidden cubbies and an easily accessible boot are promoted as major appeal features. We have yet to drive it but a static presentation earlier this year gave us an ample idea of its cleverness. Compared with its supermini sibling, the mechanicals are almost entirely unchanged. The difference is very much in the looks.
The Fusion is bland in spite of that strong road presence, very much lacking style and appearance. Competitors like the Peugeot 206SW-also coming this way soon - and the Honda Jazz, are more pleasing on the eye. Perhaps all that space and practicality will be enough to pull in the buyers. There again, those plain-Jane off-road looks could be alluring to posh folk who like to think they are "country".
Ford claim that the Fusion is the result of intensive market research and claims the car has no natural rivals just now. There's no news yet on Irish pricing.
Given its bigger bulk, we assume the main engines will be the 68bhp 1.4 litre common-rail turbodiesel and the 110bhp 1.6 litre petrol.
The Fusion had an Irish debut of sorts last week, alongside the new Fiesta and Ranger, a double-cab pick-up at Ford's exhibition area at Crosshaven, Co Cork, headquarters of Ford Cork Week.