Ford Prices Fusion Start-Stop at $295

Ford said Monday that its new Fusion will be the US market’s first non-hybrid midsize sedan available with stop-start, for $295.

Ford says the 2013 Fusion's 1.6-litrer EcoBoost engine with its 'Auto Start-Stop will save about $1,100 more than other midsize sedan during five years of driving.

Auto Start-Stop saves fuel use when the car is standing and running at idle. Savings vary depending on driving patterns, but owners who spend most time in heavy urban areas and city traffic will benefit the most – up to 10 percent.

On average, Auto Start-Stop improves fuel efficiency by about 3.5 percent.

“Idling vehicles are consuming energy without doing any work,” said Birgit Sorgenfrei, Ford’s Auto Start-Stop program manager. “They’re also producing exhaust gases in a concentrated space that can contribute to air quality problems like smog.”When the 2013 Fusion comes to a stop, the engine can automatically switch off, consuming no gasoline and emitting no exhaust gases. As soon as the driver releases brake pedal, the engine seamlessly re-starts itself and is ready to go by the time the driver presses the accelerator pedal.

Auto Start-Stop is the latest addition to the new Ford Fusion’s industry leading suite of affordable, fuel saving technologies, including:

• EcoBoost engines, which combine turbocharging, direct injection and twin independent variable camshaft timing or Ti-VCT, with downsizing to deliver outstanding fuel economy without sacrificing performance.
• Electric power steering eliminating the engine-driven hydraulic pump, lines and fluid.
• Six-speed transmissions, which enable engines to run more efficiently by always selecting the best gear for top fuel economy.

On sale this fall, Fusion offers customers the Power of Choice with the broadest selection of fuel-efficient powertrains in the midsize car segment – two EcoBoost-powered gasoline engines, a normally aspirated four-cylinder engine, a hybrid and a plug-in hybrid. Fuel-economy includes:

• 2013 Fusion 1.6-liter EcoBoost: Delivering a projected 37 mpg highway
• 2013 Fusion Hybrid: Delivering at least a projected 47 mpg – 4 mpg  better than the Toyota Camry Hybrid
• 2013 Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid: Delivering at least a projected 100 MPGe-plus rating – making it the world’s most fuel-efficient midsize sedan

A study by the United States Department of the Treasury estimates that congestion consumed an extra 1.9 billion gallons of fuel in 2011, approximately 5 percent of all the gasoline used.

Communities across America – including Denver and Ann Arbor, Mich., – are considering ordinances banning excessive engine idling.