With lots of strong competitors on the market such as the restyled Honda Accord and the Mazda 6, the refreshed Ford Fusion managed to stand out with its appealing design.
Various updates were made over the years to keep the Fusion fresh, and for 2019, Ford updated the exterior design and added even more standard features.
For 2019, the 5-passenger midsize sedan was available in 5 trim levels: the S, the SE, the SEL, the Titanium and the V6 Sport.
We found the base trim level to be well-equipped, with the Fusion featuring a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine that developed 173 hp. A front-wheel-drive system was standard and the powerplant was mated with a 6-speed automatic transmission.
The standard features included 16-inch steel wheels, automatic headlights, cruise control, air-conditioning, a rearview camera, Bluetooth connectivity, a 4.2-inch display and an USB port. The Co-Pilot360 Protect package added blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, forward collision mitigation and lane keeping assist.
The 2.5-liter unit was a little underpowered and for the ones looking for a punchy engine, the upper trim levels or even the top-of-the-range would had been a better choice.
Moving to the upper SEL trim level, the Fusion featured LED headlights, adaptive cruise control and a navigation system. Starting with this trim level, the all-wheel-drive system became available. Also standard were an automatic stop-start system, 17-inch alloys, rear heat ducts, an 8-inch touchscreen, Apply CarPlay and Android Auto, a navigation system, as well as two USB ports.
The SE appearance package was optional and added 18-inch black wheels and a leather-wrapped steering wheel.
The SEL trim level was comfort and practicality oriented, while the Titanium was equipped with the more powerful 2.0-liter turbocharged engine, 19-inch alloys and more luxurious features.
As expected, the V6 Sport offered the most powerful engine in the range, a 2.7-liter turbocharged V6 engine that developed 325 hp. Besides the slightly different exterior look, the top-of-the-range offered an adjustable suspension and even an automated parking system for parallel and perpendicular parking.
