2009 Ford Fusion diesel review, road test

From the outside, it is virtually impossible to distinguish the diesel Fusion from its petrol sibling. The only clues are the ‘TDCi’ badge on the tailgate and the new rear bumper. To shoehorn the Fusion into sub-four-metre-length category, essential for meeting the small car norms (and thereby saving eight percent tax), Ford has redesigned the rear bumper to reduce the overall length of the car by 29mm. However, the change to the rear bumper is almost impossible to spot and you need a tape measure to tell the difference.
The build of the car is typically European — it feels stiff and tough enough to take the hammering delved out by our roads. he Fusion is built with ‘tailored blanks’ or steel panels which are thick only where they need to be. This gives strength without adding weight. However, tipping the scales at 1140kg, the Fusion isn’t exactly light for a car of this size but a lot of the weight comes from beefed- up components like the heavy duty suspension and high strength sections. The front suspension has MacPherson struts with tall offset springs for reduced friction. It features an extremely rigid sub-frame for support, and to isolate road harshness. The non-independent rear suspension uses estate-car-like springs under the floor as well as wide spaced dampers. This reduces intrusions into the loading or luggage bay.