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<blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr> FORD FUSION - THE SMALL CAR THAT'S DESIGNED FOR LIVING
· Ford Fusion is the latest addition to Ford?s new generation of small cars.
· An 'Urban Activity Vehicle': Fusion to target buyers of small hatchbacks, MPVs and SUVs.
· Choice of fuel-efficient powertrains: Ford?s TDCi common-rail turbodiesel offering 68 PS and 160 Nm of torque, or Ford?s Duratec 16V petrol engines, available as either a 1.4-litre, 80PS, or a 1.6-litre, 100-PS variant.
BRENTWOOD, 6 February, 2002 ? The Fusion is Ford's latest addition to its exciting new generation of small cars.
The Ford Fusion is a car with a difference. It bridges conventional vehicle segments and small-car stereotypes, creating its own niche as the first ?Urban Activity Vehicle.? With Fusion, Ford?s design team is targeting an emerging sub-segment of the market, and it will be key to reasserting its presence in the highly competitive European small-car market.
Martin Leach, vice president, product development, Ford of Europe, says of the Fusion: ?This new vehicle reflects the growing diversity and changing expectations of our urban customers. It takes strengths that are typically associated with other vehicle classes and combines them into a small car product for the first time.?
The Ford Fusion offers a unique blend of family-sized interior space with a small-car footprint. A rugged protectiveness outside with comfort and convenience inside. A higher, command-driving position for reassuring all-around visibility but with the agility and economy of a small car.
Fusion?s modern, individual style and generous interior space can fit with many different lifestyles and customer requirements, but Ford expects it to appeal especially to young urban families ? mainly with children ? who are looking for a smart, tailored answer to their complex transport needs.
Identifying an unmet need
Fusion was inspired by Ford?s research, which identified ?white space? in the current small-car market.
?Our research led us to believe that there was an unmet need in the small-car marketplace,? said Brendan Lyne, small car brand manager, Ford Motor Company Limited. ?Ford Fusion will fill a need by fusing three characteristics in one. Fusion is all about making an intelligent choice to give you the combination of added confidence, practicality and small car agility. It needs to be versatile but still look good. It needs to project a tough on-road presence but that doesn?t mean customers need an off-road vehicle. Nor do they need a large people carrier that is difficult to park in town.?
Ford expects Fusion to appeal to buyers whose expectations are for functionality above frivolity and for a vehicle that is straightforward and uncomplicated. The vehicle will be central to their busy lives, and although they want to get the most out of their urban lifestyles, they, too, feel the need for sanctuary from the irritations and challenges of city driving.
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