By Susan Winlaw

A new version of the Ford Mustang and a revised Lincoln MKZ sedan may get the glamour coverage, but most consumers will be interested to see what Ford’s doing to its Fusion mid-sized sedan line for early next year.

Behind the face-lifted exterior for the 2010 model there’ll be a hybrid version designed to run more on electricity when it’s in urban areas, and various upgrades and refinements to suit modern tastes and keep Fusion in the game with the Chevrolet Malibu, Honda Accord, Mazda 6, Toyota Camry and various other models.

Along with the hybrid that Ford promises will deliver the best fuel economy of any sedan in North America, there’ll be what Derrick Kuzak, Ford’s group vice president of Global Product Development, calls “unsurpassed 4-cylinder gasoline fuel economy, more power, class-exclusive technologies including a blind spot detection and warning system and Ford SYNC,” as well as “proven quality and reliability that has been recognized by the top consumer groups and magazines.”

Ford thinks it’s done a great job of packaging these new features, since Kuzak says that, “Overall, the wider, sportier look aims to make Fusion even more appealing to customers eager for a fun-to-drive mid-size sedan.”

A lot of women will be delighted to find that the gas filling system no longer has a removable gas cap. You just open the little flap, stick the nozzle in, fill it up, remove the nozzle and close the flap. No nail damage.

With all new Fusion models, the interior design team created “a more contemporary, technical look with metallic new finishes on the instrument panel that carry through on the centre console, doors and steering wheel.”

On top of that, says Kuzak, “The all new instrument panel is finished with a soft upper and lower skin and has much less hard plastic than Japanese competitors. The instrument panel displays and switches have also been updated with a contemporary iced blue lighting. A redesigned leather wrapped steering wheel with form fitting palm swells, a new shifter, and wrapped and padded armrests increase the Fusion’s sportiness and comfort at all key driver touch points.”

The seats also received a makeover, Kuzak points out. “The seat contour has been revised, with more side support and overall a more comfortable seat with smoother bolsters and more-textural inserts. The seats also feature contrasting stitching and leather inserts to give the Fusion even more attitude, befitting this mid-size sedan.”

Drivers will be greeted by a new instrument panel “welcome” sequence that makes the Fusion seem as if it’s coming to life. Gauge needles sweep back and forth as the lighting and new chimes come on.

Propelling all this for 2010, both the I-4 and V-6 engines are upgraded for both improved fuel economy and power. “The standard Fusion S model equipped with Ford’s new 2.5-litre I-4 engine is expected to deliver at least a six-mpg improvement versus the 2009 model on the highway,” says Kuzak.

The 2.5-litre I-4 engine horsepower and torque also have been improved from the car’s outgoing 2.3-litre 4-cylinger engine, jumping to 175 hp and 172 ft.-lbs. of torque from the previous 160 hp and 156 ft-lbs. As a result, 0-60 performance improves by more than a second.

The 2010 Fusion features an all six-speed transmission lineup, including for the new 2.5-litre I-4 engine, which is now available with either a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic transmission. The additional gear on the I-4 should provide better drivability and performance as well as fuel savings.

In general, more gears are always better, since the first gear can then be set to provide smoother acceleration while the sixth gear allows the engine to run slower in highway conditions, which also aids fuel economy.

The V-6 was also improved for 2010, delivering highway fuel economy gains of at least 1 mpg city and 2 mpg highway, while also providing decent increases in horsepower and torque.

Front-wheel drive and on-demand all-wheel drive are available with models with a 3.0-litre engine and with the new Fusion Sport 3.5-litre engine.

In addition to improvements in the 2010 Fusion’s steering, handling and improved brake pedal feel, the Fusion team also took a look at how to improve the comfort of the car, including reducing wind noise and road noise. Kuzak says that, overall, “the reduction in wind noise and road noise puts Fusion near some of the best luxury cars in terms of quietness and speech intelligibility.

As for the hybrid version of the Ford Fusion, it should come out sometime this spring, with a setup that’s best suited for urban driving.

“With the new Ford Fusion Hybrid,” says Kuzak, “we are now able to offer even better range of travel on battery power at a greater speed. This new hybrid will exceed expectations on all fronts — fuel efficiency, comfort, convenience and drivability.”

Kuzak says the Fusion Hybrid will operate longer at higher speeds in electric mode — up to 47 mph, which is approximately twice as fast as some competitors. Plus, the city driving range on a single tank of gas is expected to be more than 700 miles.

Prices for the 2010 range of Ford Fusion were not announced, but you can expect the Hybrid model to cost a bunch more than the regular models.