2017 Ford Fusion Hybrid review – Roadshow

The Good Tweaks to the electrified side of the 2017 Ford Fusion Hybrid’s powertrain yield 1-2 additional mpg across the board. The sedan’s cabin sees a variety of styling and quality improvements. Sync 3 and the addition of Android Auto and Apple CarPlay revolutionize the Ford’s dashboard.

The Bad Performance is decent for an eco car, but the the 2.0-liter hybrid powertrain is a bit underpowered for this class of vehicle. The eCVT’s dynamic performance leaves a much to be desired.

The Bottom Line The 2017 Ford Fusion Hybrid makes many small, but positive changes that make this already competent midsize hybrid yet easier to recommend.

I’ve been a fan of the Ford Fusion Hybrid’s particular flavor of economy and efficiency for two generations, dating back to when the hybrid model was introduced in 2009. The second generation sees a subtle but significant mid-cycle refresh for the 2017 model year with better tech, improved efficiency and subtle style and packaging changes.

Hybrid powertrain improvements

The 2017 Fusion Hybrid sees styling tweaks to both its front and rear fascias, but the engine room for the second generation model hasn’t changed much at all. It’s still home to 2.0-liter, Atkinson-cycle engine that makes 144 horsepower and 129 pound-feet of torque. That petrol-powered engine is mated to an 88 kW electric motor and a 1.4 kWh lithium-ion battery pack. All together, the Fusion’s hybrid powerplant sends 188 combined horsepower in the direction of the front wheels via an electronic continuously variable transmission (eCVT).

The electric portion of the powertrain has been tweaked and now can drop into a fully electric driving mode at speeds up to 85 mph. The revised regenerative braking system, which draws from lessons learned on the Focus Electric, now allows the car to recapture up to 94 percent of energy when coming to a stop, improving efficiency.

How much of an improvement? Well, not a whole lot, but every little bit counts, right? EPA-estimated fuel efficiency is up to 42 mpg combined, 43 mpg city and 41 mpg highway. That’s a 1 mpg bump to the combined figure and 2 extra mpg on the highway.

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On the road, the hybrid system feels almost exactly like last generation, which is to say pretty good. Of course, the Hybrid is tuned for efficiency, so the outright acceleration won’t win many drag races but the Fusion still boasts enough electric torque to feel peppy off of the line in the city and for confident merges at highway speeds. The eCVT saps pretty much all of the fun during more the dynamic driving you’d experience on a good, curvy road, but generally felt unintrusive and smooth during more relaxed commuter-type driving.

Also, the Fusion Hybrid’s steering and handling feel a bit more dialed in and direct than I remember the previous model feeling, which makes the sedan feel more precise and confident during quick lane changes and when tucking into an off-ramp. I’d go so far as to say that the Fusion is almost fun to drive, if you can temper your expectations a bit.

All-new Sync 3 infotainment

The cabin sees a variety of small quality of life changes and improved materials, depending on the trim level chosen, but the most obvious change to all Fusion models is the switch to dial-type gear selector. The rotary selector is twisted to toggle between forward and reverse gears and takes up less vertical space in the cabin. With an eCVT behind the scenes anyway, I’m alright with this interface change and welcome the removal of one more thing to bump into. Having driven cars from Jaguar to Chrysler that feature rotary gear selectors, this wasn’t a very big change for me. Passengers, however, reacted with varying degrees of wonder and revulsion at the odd knob on the console.

Ford’s LCD Smartgauge digital instrument cluster is just as gorgeously rendered and packed with information as it has ever been and a new EcoSelect feature allows the driver to toggle even more fuel efficient operation from the powertrain and climate control systems.

Antuan Goodwin/Roadshow

As you’d expect from a hybrid that runs partially or completely on silent electric power, the cabin is very quiet, which allows the optional Sony stereo system to do its thing with clear audio and very little distortion from the speakers or rattling from the cabin even at fairly loud volumes.