J Mays said in our November 2011 issue that the production 2013 Ford Fusion unveiled at the 2012 North American International Auto Show in Detroit would borrow heavily from the Evos concept revealed at Frankfurt last fall. As on the Evos, the large, expressive six-point lower fascia from the Focus and Fiesta has been moved up the nose to become the Fusion/Mondeo's grille, the headlamps are narrow slits that avoid the bug-eye (not to be confused with the Austin-Healey Sprite's) lamps infesting the rest of the midsize segment lately and the fast roofline gives the car an almost four-door coupe' look.
"You're the first to hear this," Samantha Hoyt, Fusion's marketing manager tells Motor Trend. "We will be the first to offer a gas, a hybrid and a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle." The Fusion Energi goes on sale roughly five months after the Fusion and Fusion Hybrid.
Ford says the on-sale date will be late summer, with serious stock getting into dealerships by early fall. The new '13 Honda Accord and Nissan Altima both launch within a few months of the Ford. Chevrolet will have the eAssist '13 Malibu Eco on sale for several months, though you'll have to wait until autumn if you want a non-Eco Malibu with the new 2.5-liter four. By then, we'll know whether Volkswagen's strategy of designing a bigger, specific Passat for North America (and China and South Korea) is successful in the marketplace.




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