2019 Ford Fusion Energi Road Test and Review

2019-Ford-Fusion-Energi-hero ・ Photo by Ron Sessions

Low and sleek may not be the rallying cry of buyers flocking to SUVs lately, but the Fusion, still Ford’s best-selling car in the U.S., makes a strong case for the mid-size sedan. With its Aston Martin-esque grille and gimmick-free pure form, it’s easy on the eyes. It’ll carry four adults in comfort — five in a pinch — handles like a dream, and fits in your garage without having to move the bikes. If you want to carry half a grade-school soccer team, get a minivan. And that big-screen TV you’re eyeballing? We hear Amazon delivers.

As for saving the planet, the 2019 Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid is right up there at the top of Ford’s fossil-fueled mileage makers at 42 mpg combined — tied with the regular Fusion Hybrid and exceeding that of the CMax Hybrid. Factor in its plug-in capability and that rises to 103 miles per gallon equivalent (MPGe). At $37,390 including $895 destination charge, the Fusion Energi comes loaded with top-of-the-line Titanium trim. The only option box left to check is a sunroof. 

And You Thought Atkinson Was a Diet

Ford sells two kinds of Fusion hybrids: the regular Hybrid and the Energi. Both use a highly efficient Atkinson Cycle 2.0-liter gas engine working in conjunction with a permanent-magnet AC electric motor. Total system output is 188 horsepower.

The main difference between the two Fusion hybrid versions is the Energi has a larger capacity 9-kWh lithium-ion battery and can drive up to 25 electric-only miles on a full battery charge. That’s up from just 20 miles in last year’s model. It operates like a regular hybrid once the 25-mile electric range is depleted, which means from that point on, it can still be driven on electric power alone for short periods, such as when stopped at a traffic light, steady-state cruising under light load, braking, or coasting.

Photo by Ron Sessions

Plug-In Hybrid Payoff

To make the most of the Energi’s capabilities, you must plug it into an electric outlet to top off its hybrid battery. That takes about 2.6 hours using 240 volts (such as used for your clothes dryer or electric range), and considerably longer at regular 120-volt house current. The charge port is located on the driver’s side front fender. An LED state-of-charge indicator helps you keep tabs on the charging procedure progress.

The payoff is big, especially if you charge the Energi’s battery every day and mostly use the car for short hops. Although both the Energi and regular Fusion Hybrid are EPA rated at a combined 42 mpg once the plug-in’s electric-only range is depleted, the Energi receives a 103 MPGe rating over the first 100 miles of operation with a fully charged hybrid battery.   

Photo by Ron Sessions

Quick Codes

A lot of cars, including the Fusion, offer keyless door entry that will unlock the driver’s door or all doors when you touch the driver’s door handle or a button on the handle. It’s a great convenience not to have to hassle with digging around in your pockets, purse or briefcase for a physical key or keyless remote clicker.

Ford (and Lincoln) go one step further offering this Securicode keypad conveniently located on the Fusion’s front door pillar that will unlock the driver’s door after punching in a five-digit code (which you can also reset and personalize). Pressing the 3-4 button within five seconds of entering the code will unlock all the doors, and hitting the 5-6 key does the same for the trunk. Pressing the 9-0 or 7-8 buttons locks the doors.

Photo by Ron Sessions

Sitting Pretty

The Energi’s front seats are 10-way powered with adjustable lumbar, heating and cooling, and soft, buttery leather upholstery. There are memory settings for both the driver and front passenger. The front buckets are as comfortable as they are supportive, hugging the lower torso and taking pressure off the spine while providing ample lateral support in the turns with no hotspots or hard wires digging in.

Adaptive cruise control with full stop and go is standard, as are rain-sensing wipers and dual-zone automatic climate control. An Active Noise Control system, working through the car’s speakers, helps cancel undesirable engine sounds, such as low-frequency rumbles that can occur when cruising with the engine at very low rpm. The Energi also has a two-panel configurable LCD display that keeps the driver informed of hybrid range and system status, including an effective but slightly hokey graphic that rewards fuel-saving driving practices with a growing pile of green leaves. After a while, you get used to it.

Photo by Ron Sessions

New Twist on Shifting

Eliminating clutter and saving space on the console for handy storage is the Fusion’s rotary automatic transmission shifter. It replaces the traditional fore-aft “PRNDL” shifter with this rather substantial, nicely weighted rotary dial. Unlike some other designs that place gear-selection buttons on the dash or console that require the driver to take their eyes off the road to operate, the twist action of the rotary shifter is easy to master without looking down.

On the Fusion Energi, the transmission itself is a continuously variable automatic that electronically blends the propulsion of the four-cylinder gas engine and electric motor for optimal efficiency without fixed gear ratios.

Photo by Ron Sessions

Totally in Sync

Ford’s greatly improved Sync 3 entertainment system is now standard on most Fusion models, and in the Fusion Energi it includes a Sony 12-speaker premium audio system with an 8-inch LCD touchscreen, voice-activated navigation with pinch-to-zoom functionality, HD radio, and SiriusXM, the latter with Travel and Traffic Link. With the Ford+Alexa app, Sync 3 can play music from playlists and access other Alexa skills such as reviewing shopping lists. The system is compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto for a smartphone-familiar look to the center display.

Also onboard is an embedded 4G LTE wireless modem for in-car Wi-Fi for up to 10 personal devices.

Photo by Ron Sessions

Back Seat Accommodations

Nearly as inviting and form-fitting as the leather-covered front seats are the two outboard rear perches (less so the center-rear position). The Fusion Energi offers decent rear legroom and headroom for a mid-size sedan despite the addition of a hybrid battery.

Ford’s innovative inflatable rear seat safety belts that inflate to protect and further restrain rear passengers are newly standard on the Energi for 2019. The rear seatback has a fold-down center armrest with cup holders and fold-down seatbacks split 60/40 for pass-through of longer items into the trunk.

Photo by Ron Sessions

Pack Lightly

The Energi trunk itself is on the small side. Because of the intrusion of the large plug-in lithium-ion hybrid battery behind the rear seat, the Energi’s 8.2 cubic feet of luggage capacity is about half that of a gas-powered Fusion and about 25 percent smaller than the non-plug-in Fusion Hybrid’s.

The spare tire, jack, and lug wrench get the heave-ho too, replaced with an inflator and a can of tire sealant. So pack lightly.

Photo by Ron Sessions

Your Electronic Wingman

As with all 2019 Ford Fusion models, the Fusion Energi comes standard with Ford Co-Pilot360 Protect, an extensive suite of safety and driver-assistive systems that can cost extra on some competitor’s models, even luxury offerings from prestige European brands.

Think of it as your electronic wingman. In addition to the standard backup camera display shown here, Ford Co-Pilot360 includes emergency braking with pedestrian detection, a lane-keeping system that helps keep the car between the white lines, an automatic high-beam system that switches on the brights when needed on a dark road and dims them as necessary to avoid dazzling oncoming traffic, plus blind-spot and rear cross-traffic monitoring that can detect and warn the driver of vehicles or pedestrians approaching from the rear that are hidden from view.

Photo by Ron Sessions

Smooth Moves

The 2019 Ford Fusion Energi is a convincing blend of efficiency, high style, and top-line comfort — at a very affordable price. Its smooth, turbine-like whoosh accelerating from a stoplight exudes a premium vibe and the sedan is particularly satisfying to experience when it’s driven — quietly and comfortably — at a more measured pace.  

Looking for a livelier Fusion in these days of cheap gas? The 325-horsepower Fusion V6 Sport with its 2.7-liter twin-turbo EcoBoost V6 fills that bill. Also, unlike on some Fusion models, the Energi doesn't offer all-wheel drive.

Photo by Ron Sessions