With 2017 Fusion Sport, Ford pushes further toward Audi

Nobody's ever had much trouble liking the slinky look and agreeable driving dynamics of Ford's Fusion midsize sedan since the second-generation model was launched for the 2013 model year. But three years into its lifespan, a refresh is due-and in addition to a not-so-you'd-notice front-styling revision and some unexpectedly high-quality interior upgrades, the 2017 Fusion lineup adds a convincingly-executed Sport model to slant this family car distinctly to the sport-sedan part of the spectrum.

Todd Soderquist, global chief program engineer for the Fusion and Mondeo, told Automotive Engineering that because Ford's new-ish twin-turbocharged 2.7-L V6 was developed concurrently with the second-generation Fusion, the midsize sedan was designed from the start to accept the Ecoboost V6, even though the car was launched with a 4-cylinder-only engine lineup. Thus the heart of the new Fusion Sport, the 2.7-liter-here generating an SAE-certified 325 hp (242 kW) and a chesty 380 lb·ft (515 N·m)-was three years ago ready for this duty.