LOS ANGELES, Jan. 3, 2002 – The Fusion concept, an urban adventure vehicle designed with young city dwellers in mind, foretells what Ford believes could be the next potential hot vehicle segment.

Ford is showing the Fusion concept to test consumer interest in a new niche crossover vehicle that combines car-like ride and handling, maneuverability for city driving, affordability for young people and the versatility of a SUV all in one package.

"Fusion could be part of a very hot new segment," says Jim O’Connor, Ford Division president. "We have a knack for knowing what customers want, sometimes even before they know it. Fusion could be the start of something special."

As a crossover vehicle, Fusion intentionally blurs the lines between an SUV and a car. It also underscores Ford’s plans to remain the world’s SUV leader with new vehicles and new offerings for customers.

"Fusion takes SUVs in an entirely new direction," says J Mays, Ford vice president of Design. "It’s a vehicle that thrives in the city. It’s small enough to squeeze into tight parking spaces, yet tall enough to offer the look, feel, ground clearance and ‘command-of-road’ seating position SUV drivers crave. On top of all that, it adds edgy new looks that stand out in a crowd, which is very appealing to young people."

Led by Ford’s introduction of the Explorer in 1991, the SUV segment experienced tremendous growth in the 1990s, expanding from 900,000 units in 1991 to 4 million units in 2001. Explorer has gone on to win 4.2 million U.S. customers.

The market saw another sales spike in the late 1990s after the introduction of the full-size Ford Expedition SUV. At the turn of the millennium, interest in all SUVs has continued, with a steadily growing market, especially in the small SUV sub-segment. The Ford Escape, introduced in 2000, quickly became the sales leader among small SUVs.

Today, nearly one in four new vehicle buyers purchases a SUV.

Ford’s Fusion concept displays a host of intelligent and practical new technologies designed to enhance the experience of driving, living and working in an urban environment:

The concept is derived from Ford’s critically acclaimed all-new European Fiesta and carries some of the sharp design cues that make the small car one of Europe’s best sellers. The design is characterized as "refined ruggedness." More like a stainless-steel diver’s watch than a hiker’s backpack, it features precision forms and technical accent lines, appealing to a sophisticated yet youthful taste with the wide, tall stance that identifies it as an SUV.

One quickly noticeable technical design highlight is the new bi-xenon headlamp system that provides exceptional levels of light for seeing and being seen at night. Xenon headlamps are brighter and project a wider angle of light on the road than conventional systems. Xenon light is also 2.5 times as powerful as halogen, although it uses less than two thirds of the power. Its operational color is ‘cool,’ resembling that of natural daylight. In this bi-xenon system, the high and the low beams are generated by a single source of light, providing benefits in lower energy consumption, new design possibilities, and the same color of light for both the high and low beams, which relieves the driver’s eyes of the stress of continual readjustment.

Fusion’s wheelbase is 98 inches with a 58-inch track. The Fusion is fitted with 18-inch aluminum wheels that add to its urban appeal and all-season tires that provide the performance and grip needed in adverse weather.

Fusion is a four-door, four-passenger vehicle with enough cargo space to meet the needs of the city-dweller or suburban commuter. Because the Fusion is targeted at youthful buyers, it also serves as a test-bed for the latest in consumer electronic conveniences.