2009 Ford Fusion diesel review, road test

The 1.4-litre Duratorq engine may be identical to the one under the Fiesta’s hood. But the diesel Fusion weighs 30 kilos more than the diesel Fiesta and it differs from the Fiesta aerodynamically. To compensate for this, the ECU was re-calibrated to make the Fusion as responsive as the Fiesta. The gearbox is similar, with an identical set of gear ratios, but the final drive is taller with the aim of eking out even better economy.   With only 68bhp on tap, we didn’t expect the Fusion to smoke its 195/60 R15 tyres. After all, the Fiesta diesel was never a quick car. Its strength lay in the fantastic responsiveness at low speeds.   The Fusion diesel shows a similar eagerness at low revs but the throttle response is definitely blunted by the taller gearing and re-mapped ECU. Where the Fiesta picks up cleanly, the Fusion hesitates a bit before the turbo kicks in. Make no mistake, the power delivery is quite acceptable especially when you compare the Fusion with other modern diesels like the Verna and even the Optra Magnum, which have greater turbo-lag. It’s just that the Fiesta remains the class best when it comes to driveability.   As a result, the Fusion is considerably slower in the 20-80kph and 40-100kph acceleration times, in third and fourth gear respectively. If you want instant performance, you do have to downshift a bit more often than in the Fiesta. Outright performance is also only average with the dash to 100kph coming up in a shade under 18 seconds, and though in the same league as the Fiesta, is light years behind the quicker and cheaper Swift diesel.   As expected, the Fusion engine is extremely smooth but it is a little more audible than in the Fiesta, especially at idle. Sound-deadening material and the body structure seem to be better optimised for the saloon than the cross-over.   The Fusion didn’t turn out to be as fuel-efficient as the Fiesta and that’s not surprising. Taller gearing penalised the Fusion in the city while the large frontal area took its toll on the highway. But despite this, the Fusion diesel returned an impressive 13.05kpl in the city and 17.9kpl on the highway.