9:45 AM
Sure, the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid may have a base price that's more expensive than a Toyota Camry Hybrid ($27,270 vs. $26,150), but you get oh so much more. Aside from more interesting styling and a trick LCD display called SmartGauge, Ford Fusion Hybrid owners will be able to travel 41 miles in the city for every gallon of gas they use. So says the Environmental Protection Agency, which has finally released official fuel economy numbers for Ford's most miserly vehicle. The 2010 Fusion Hybrid's official rating of 41 mpg city and 36 mpg highway bests the Toyota Camry Hybrid by 8 mpg and 2 mpg, respectively. Ford points out that it even beats the smaller Honda Civic Hybrid by 1 mpg in the city. Credit goes to Ford and its engineers who developed the Fusion Hybrid's new hybrid drivetrain, which is based on the same one used in the Ford Escape Hybrid but features many advances like smaller and lighter nickel-metal hydride batteries and the ability to run up to 47 mph on electric power alone. That last ability alone raises the bar substantially for hybrids and puts the Fusion Hybrid in a class of its own... for now. The next-generation Toyota Prius will debut in January at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show, and we expect the Toyota Camry Hybrid to benefit greatly from adopting its new Synergy Drive hybrid drivetrain.
