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The Ford Fusion is a sleek mid-size sedan with several drivetrains including a hybrid and the Energi, a plug-in version of the hybrid.
Electric vehicles sound great on paper, but a driver has to keep an eye on the range to not run out of power. Plug-in hybrids like the 2017 Ford Fusion Energi solve this issue. If you’re past your range limit, the gas engine kicks in, causing the 2017 Ford Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid to go further distances than an all-electric vehicle. It nearly gets 1000 km overall, according to Ford.
The 2017 Ford Fusion Energi gets some cosmetic and interior upgrades like a wider grille and LED headlights. On the inside, the console was cleaned up, and a drive selector knob replaced the shifter to free up centre console space. A new series of safety systems are available as options. The lithium-ion battery pack is housed in the trunk so that rear seat passengers don’t have to give up on valuable seating space.
The best part of the changes for 2017 are the tweaks Ford made to the hybrid powertrain. A larger battery pack was added. It can be charged at a designated station or plugged into a standard wall outlet. The Energi is fitted with a 3.3-kilowatt charger that will recharge a depleted battery pack in less than 4 hours. The 2017 Ford Fusion Energi now gets an all-electric range of 35 km plus an extra 947 km using the gas-hybrid engine for a total driving distance on one full tank and charge of 982 km.
For the best fuel efficiency, drive the Fusion Energi in electric mode until the battery is completely depleted. Once this happens, the gas-powered engine takes over until the gas runs out.
Ford is focused on making the drive feel more like a gas-powered car than a hybrid. The regenerative braking and stop/start technology are nearly undetectable. Part of the reason they work behind the scenes so well comes from the Ford active noise cancellation system that masks the working sounds of the complex system.
The 2.0L four-cylinder gas engine creates up to 141 hp, but according to Ford, total output is 188 hp when combined with the output from the electric motors.
The 2017 Fusion Energi comes in three trim levels of SE, Titanium and Platinum. The base-level SE trim comes with:
- A heated 10-way power driver’s seat
- Heated wide-angle side-view mirrors
- Dual-zone automatic climate control
- Cruise control
- EV mode button
- An electric parking brake
- SYNC 3 infotainment
- Satellite radio
- Rear parking sensors
- Backup camera
- LED headlights
- Fog lights
- Speed-sensitive adjusting wipers
- Active noise control
- An 11-speaker stereo
- Keyless entry
The mid-level Titanium is sportier and adds:
- Aluminum pedals
- Leather sport seats
- Ambient interior lighting
- 12-speaker stereo by Sony
- A rear spoiler
- A front scuff plate
Besides all the items above, the top-of-the-line Energi Platinum includes:
- Premium leather seating
- Leather-trimmed dashboard
- Ventilated front seats
- A heated, leather-wrapped steering wheel
- Rain-sensing wipers
- A sunroof
- Navigation
- Safety systems like adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go technology, enhanced active park assist, blind spot warning, lane keeping and pre-collision assist with pedestrian detection
If you drive short distances back and forth often, you’ll benefit from the Energi’s electric vehicle range. But you can also enjoy driving longer distances using the Energi’s hybrid system. Stop by one of our dealers today and take a 2017 Fusion Energi sedan out for a drive. We want to know what you think of the future of driving efficiency.
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