With an eye on survival during a time of roller-coaster gas prices and low consumer confidence, representatives from Ford Motor Co. rolled into Salt Lake City Monday with the newest gas-electric vehicle, the 2010 Fusion Hybrid.
The five-seat, midsized sedan gets 41 mpg for city driving and 36 mpg on the highway. That’s higher gas mileage than the automaker’s rival, the Toyota Camry, which comes in at 33 mpg in the city and 34 mpg on the highway, according to EPA data for the 2009 model.
The car retails at about $27,000. The federal government offers a tax credit, to make the price about $25,000.
The Mercury Milan Hybrid is the Fusion’s twin. Both hybrid cars will be delivered to dealers in coming weeks.
This year, Ford will manufacture 25,000 hybrids and about 180,000 gas-powered Fusions. The cars are manufactured in Hermosillo, Mexico.
The Fusion Hybrid’s battery is made of nickel-metal hydride, and features a SmartGauge — two LCD windows on each side of the speedometer — that show information such as average mpgs for a trip or the entire life of the car, and battery and gas levels.
However, that’s not been the case for the two other members of the so-called “Big Three” American automakers. Because GM and Chrysler received money from the government’s bailout fund.
| 
|