????從外形上看，福特汽車公司（Ford Motor Co.）全新設計的家用中級轎車Fusion與其上一代車型明顯不同。老款車實用至上，中規中矩；新款則頗具動感，就像一位歌舞隊的舞蹈演員取代了巴諾書店（Barnes & Noble）的店員。

????新款Fusion在車身架構上也煥然一新：這款中型車的架構是全新開發的，替代了此前曾與馬自達（Mazda）共用的架構。這款車在歐洲和中國市場被命名為蒙迪歐（Mondeo），但會稍做改動，而在南美市場上仍然叫Fusion。

????這款最新中級家用車作為所在陣營中最暢銷的車型必須在美國競爭最激烈的細分市場上參與角逐，畢竟每賣出四輛車，就有一輛屬于這個級別。正因為這樣，福特更加卯足了勁兒要讓福特從車海中脫穎而出，在外形上絕不混同于豐田凱美瑞（Toyota Camry）或本田雅閣（Honda Accord）這類日系車。

????福特Fusion產品線總監朱迪?柯倫接受電話采訪時稱：“這款車非常抓人眼球，比老款更加高檔。它的車身比例協調，做工精致。”汽車網站TrueCar的分析師杰西?托普拉克則稱：“這款車的外形非常漂亮，設計出眾卻并不極端?！?/p>

????已經有不止一位評論者指出，Fusion外形的設計靈感似乎來自阿斯頓馬?。ˋston Martin），這是福特曾經擁有的一個子品牌。近年來，福特的首席執行官艾倫?穆拉利致力于優化和簡化管理，啟用了新口號“一個福特”（One Ford），以便提高全球業務運營的效率，同時避免成本高昂的復制。

????再過一兩周，首批Fusion就將從福特位于墨西哥埃莫西約的工廠運抵美國經銷商處。明年某個時候，福特就打算在其密歇根州弗拉特洛克的工廠增加一條生產線，擴大產能。

????Fusion在美國市場上的銷量緊隨豐田凱美瑞、本田雅閣和日產阿蒂瑪（Nissan Altima）之后，同時領先于現代索納塔（Hyundai Sonata）和雪佛蘭邁瑞寶（Chevrolet Malibu）。而在歐洲，福特亟需幫助，因為歐洲市場對汽車的需求已急劇下降。8月份，福特的實際銷量與去年同期相比驟降29%，這可真讓人不好受。對福特來說，與銷量一樣讓人揪心的還有每臺車所能帶來的實際收入。據柯倫稱，Fusion現在起價“低至兩萬美元出頭”，頂級配置的鈦金版定價也只有30,995美元。

????柯倫表示，該車將可選裝價值1,000美元的“安全套裝”，包括盲區探測儀、車道偏離警報系統和自適應巡航控制系統，它們能幫助駕駛者避免由于分神或不集中而發生追尾事故。這三大配置現在同時出現在一款主流中級車上表明，一度只有頂級豪車才能享用的這些配置是多么迅速地成為中級車的標配。隨著這類技術的成本進一步降低，更先進的技術不斷面世，這種趨勢必將繼續下去。

????Ford Motor Co.'s restyled Fusion midsize family sedan clearly departs from the model it replaces in the looks department. The old one was utilitarian and sensible; the new one borders on racy, like a chorus line dancer stepping in for the clerk at Barnes & Noble.

????The new Fusion is a departure mechanically as well: Ford's (F) new midsize car architecture is all its own, replacing one that was derived from one shared with Mazda. The same vehicle, with minor differences, will be sold in Europe and China as the Mondeo and in South America dubbed the Fusion.

????Ford's latest midsize family car, the best seller in its lineup, must contend in the most competitive segment in the U.S., responsible for one in four car sales. As such, Ford is turning its game up a notch, bidding to make the Fusion stand out from the crowd rather than blend with the appearance favored by Japanese carmaker's Toyota (TM) Camry and Honda (HMC) Accord.

????"I would call it eye-catching, definitely more upscale," said Judy Curran, Ford's vehicle line director for Fusion in a telephone interview. "It's got great proportions and is very sophisticated." Jesse Toprak, an analyst for TrueCar, an automotive website, said Fusion "looks pretty and is designed to stand out without being polarizing."

????More than one critic has noted the design cues on the Fusion's exteriors that seem borrowed from Aston Martin, another subsidiary that Ford no longer owns. Alan Mulally, Ford CEO, has been relentless in his push to streamline and simplify the automaker, using the slogan "One Ford," so that worldwide operations are efficient and avoid costly duplication.

????The first Fusions should be reaching U.S. dealerships in the next week or two from Ford's factory in Hermosillo, Mexico. Sometime next year, Ford intends to expand production by adding another assembly line at a plant in Flat Rock, Michigan.

????In the U.S., Fusion sales trail those of Toyota Camry, Honda Accord and Nissan (NSANY) Altima, while leading those of Hyundai Sonata and Chevrolet (GM) Malibu. Ford will need help in Europe, where demand for vehicles has collapsed broadly. In August, Ford's unit sales on the count were down a gut-wrenching 29% from a year ago. Just as critical as the sales numbers for Ford will be the revenue per unit it can realize. According to Curran, the vehicle's retail price starts "in the low 20s" and rise to $30,995 for the premium Titanium version.

????Curran noted that a $1,000 "safety package" of options will include blind spot detection, lane departure warning and adaptive cruise control, which helps drivers avoid rear-ending a vehicle ahead due to distraction or loss of attention. That all three features are offered on a mainstream sedan shows how quickly features once offered in only the most expensive vehicles are migrating to the mainstream. The trend is bound to continue as the technology becomes less costly and more advanced variants are developed.