2010 Ford Fusion Interior

By: Andy Hodges
Staff Writer
Published: Jul 25, 2009

2010 Ford Fusion Interior Demonstrates Quality Precision

We spend countless hours each week reviewing hybrid cars but the 2010 Ford Fusion still sticks out from the rest. The interior is made of quality materials and the cabin has a nice tech theme to go along with its future fuel-efficient advancements. The dashboard and gauges are positioned nicely and the leaf scoring makes the most sense out of all the other hybrid vehicles.

Not long ago, Ford won a special-achievement award for "Best Graphic Display" that includes the SmartGauge with EcoGuide. The 2010 Fusion was judged for its styling, comfort, safety and value. The judges were impressed and took immediate notice of the quality in the vehicle.

The quality and 3D graphics in the cabin and dashboard isn't mentioned often enough. Most reviews are based on mechanics and operation of the hybrid car. While it does achieve good-standing reviews for road tests but there is less attention focused on Ford's award-winning achievements.

For example, we posted the original news story about the award when it happened. However, after doing a quick search, it doesn't seem as if any other site really cared to mention it. We also found out that we were the only hybrid site that did a follow up even after the award story posted.

We're not trying to earn kudos for this, the point is that while there are several sites creating news about the cabin on other automobiles, the same effort is not made about the Ford Fusion. The 2010 model went through a complete facelift with a larger LCD screen topped with new air vents. Moreover, we found ourselves writing repeated stories about the Fusion Hybrid because the newer design itself can't be done in one story piece.

Ford is not new to the fuel economy idea. I remember back when I was 7-years-old, my mother bought a brand new 1974 Pinto. It wasn't the most popular fuel-efficient car, but it was one of the first to offer a gas-saving automobile for working-class consumers. My mother, who worked for a state governor, got tired of the unpredictable price for gasoline.

While gas prices soared to new high levels in 2008, the mid-1970s were also a time of oil despair. Each time OPEC came out with another excuse to raise oil prices, Ford was there every time with a new fuel-efficient solution. The company is the only one left out of the original big-three and that says a lot for a domestic automaker.

I was at a Ford dealership last Wednesday and really wanted to get some information on what Fusion buyers thought about the latest car. I walked with a salesperson with a young couple interested in a test-drive. The very first thing they noticed was the cabin design and when they started the car, their eyes lit up with an excitement when they saw the interactive dashboard.

What I saw that day is exactly what Ford has been saying all along. I remember a quote from Ford's executive director of design Moray Callum said "it's where the emotional connection to a vehicle takes place; where the customer can see and feel the quality of the vehicle." Overall, Ford Fusion is a great hybrid car, and it will save you money at the gas pump.