Hands On Drive With the 2013 Ford Fusion Energi

Of the big three American automakers, Ford has established itself as something of a leader in car tech—from several generations of integrated infotainment systems to the latest hybrid drivetrains. The Ford Fusion Energi ($39,495, as tested $40,895) takes this a step further, as it's a real plug-in hybrid, capable of driving 21 miles on pure electricity alone, and a total of 620 miles per tank of gas. 

But how does the Fusion Energi actually drive? To answer that question, we took a quick spin behind the wheel of a Fusion Energi here in New York City, right before the New York Auto Show opens to the public on Friday at the Javits Center. The car works best when charged up, but still works like a regular Fusion Hybrid otherwise, with the same EPA ratings of 47 MPG city and 47 MPG highway. The Energi actually earned an EPA estimate of 100 MPGe, but that's with electric power. You can charge the battery in 2.5 hours with a 240-volt outlet, and 7.5 hours otherwise.

All of this puts it in similar territory to the Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid, which can go 15 miles on electric power alone, and the Chevy Volt, which can go 40 miles without the gas engine beginning to recharge its battery.

Interior Tech and MyFord Touch
The Fusion Energi is new for 2013, like the rest of the Fusion lineup, and is more of an enhanced version of the regular Fusion Hybrid. Turn the car on, and you hear and feel absolutely nothing, because the gas engine isn't running yet. This happens with other hybrid electric cars, but it's still a shock to the system if you haven't been in one in a few weeks. Three screens confront the driver, in a manner similar to the 2013 Ford Taurus SHO with which we tested the MyFord Touch system last year. The center-mounted display handles the main interface and most regular tasks, while the two smaller screens to the left and right of the speedometer display condensed information for the selected modes.

The MyFord Touch system—which I like, but which also has some infuriating interface quirks—gets revised yet again here, this time with a faster processor and an additional hybrid electric screen. The hybrid screen shows how power is currently being distributed and consumed by the car's various subsystems. It also lets you program in your commuting and leisure schedule, so that the car will turn on and condition the interior to a preset temperature at preset times, and get the battery ready to go. The screen is still plastic resistive, though, which means it occasionally doesn't register finger presses properly. And the Microsoft-powered MyFord Touch system still throws up too many dialog boxes, either when accomplishing a task or even just interrupting you to let you know the status of the GPS or parking assist.

Speaking of which, the car can detect when you are near a parking spot with enough room, and then parallel park itself with only accelerator and brake input. We disabled this during the drive, because it kept detecting parking spots as we drove down crowded city streets in Manhattan (and just because there's free curb space doesn't mean you can legally park anywhere). There's plenty of other on-board tech, too, including a coaching feature that teaches you how to drive more smoothly to conserve fuel and power, as well as a blind spot detection system and lane keeping system.

Performance and Conclusions
All of that wouldn't amount to much if the car doesn't drive well, but fortunately, it does. From a stop, the car accelerates smoothly and silently. With the windows up, the remote din of New York City streets is enough to mask any sounds the car is making, even as it shifts into gas-powered mode.

The 2-liter, four-cylinder engine is paired with an electric motor and a lithium-ion battery pack, for a total of 188 horsepower. To test acceleration, I floored the car from a stop and ran it up to about 40 mph. It took the car a few beats to figure out what I wanted and kick the gas engine on with a tiny shudder. Once it did that, the car accelerated smoothly and quickly, but it didn't press me into the seat. It also hung on for a split second even after I took my foot off the gas, as if the gas pedal had to send a command somewhere first, and wasn't directly connected to the throttle; that was a little unnerving.

Otherwise, the car drives beautifully. The regenerative braking is aggressive, but pedal feel is fine, with none of the usual weirdness that plagued earlier-generation hybrid systems. The car rides smoothly and comfortably. Steering is sharp and linear, if slightly vague, which is a possible consequence of the different, more economical rubber the car is wearing in Energi trim. A Ford representative said the electric steering should feel the same between the regular Fusion Hybrid and the Fusion Energi. Either way, it's still a fairly sporty drive, and remains more engaging behind the wheel than, say, a Toyota Prius.

Perhaps the biggest compliment I can make for the car is that it's a lot like the regular Fusion—which is to say, smooth, powerful, full of tech, and very stylish for a mainstream mid-size car. The redesign for 2013 is striking, no matter which version you get. But at $40,000+, the Fusion Energi isn't exactly priced like a mainstream car, and that's where it begins to run into a little trouble. You do get some tax credits, in the form of $3,750 for federal, and then more depending on the state (another $1,500 in California, for example), and you also get to drive in HOV lanes even when you're by yourself.

But that may not be enough to mitigate the fact that you can get practically the exact same car and fuel economy, sans the electric and charging portion, with the regular Fusion Hybrid. That latter choice is probably still what makes sense for most buyers. But if you have a garage, or live in a city with an increasing number of charging stations, and want to do as much for the environment as you can, the Fusion Energi delivers the absolute latest in cutting-edge efficiency in a mainstream, reasonably-priced sedan.

For more, check out the slideshow above.