The Hindu Business Line : Ford trying a new Fusion

The air has been thick with rumours about Ford India's plans to introduce a diesel-engine version of the Fusion. The company may be considering shoehorning into the Fusion the same 1.4-litre TDCi common-rail diesel engine that is being offered in the Fiesta. That could be a combination worth waiting for.

Meanwhile, Ford has readied the Endeavour for Round Two of the slug-fest between the big luxury SUVs and sedans. The face-lifted Endeavour has been in the coming for sometime now and it too is likely to be offered with a new common rail diesel engine.

The new Endeavour, already available in the Thai market where it is called the Ford Everest, is offered with a 2.5-litre common-rail diesel engine for the 4X2 versions and is offered with the 3-litre, WEC, common-rail diesel engine for the four-wheel drive models. The two engines put out a peak power of 143 bhp and 156 bhp respectively.

Boost in power output at various engine-rpm levels is achieved by teaming up the two engines with a variable geometry turbocharger and intercooler. Though the Everest in Thailand is offered with both manual and automatic transmissions, here the Endeavour is likely to be offered only with a manual, but will come in both 4X2 and 4X4 variants.

Ford sources a number of components for the current Endeavour from Thailand and this is likely to continue with the new version too. In terms of dimensions, the new model is likely to feature the same wheelbase and width, but the length is likely to be about 5 cm more than the outgoing model.

Expect considerable changes to the interior in the new Endeavour. The exterior design at the front will see changes that will give the new Endeavour a slightly more lowered and rounded look. The rear design of the new Endeavour will be almost identical to the current model. With the new 2.5-litre common-rail diesel engine, Ford will also be able to offer a more powerful and refined powertrain that also meets future emission norms.

S. Muralidhar