The front seats manage to be slightly soft, yet supportive enough for long drives. A standard tilt and telescoping steering wheel and the six-way power-adjustable driver's seat, standard on the SE and SEL models, helps drivers get comfortable, be they short or tall.
In keeping with its European influence, Ford has chosen to go with the soft touch for surface materials, which is expected in a luxury car but not in a mass-market car. The car we drove had a dark charcoal interior so everything was finished in black. The optional two-tone interior, especially the dark stone and camel with faux wood trim looks more inviting. The lighter colored interiors look friendlier.
The dashboard is a straightforward design that runs horizontally across the car's width with just a binnacle above the instrument pod. It contains four small gauges that are easy to read as they are separated from each other rather than overlapping and the figures are in a large font. Decent-sized buttons make the radio and climate controls easy to operate. The center stack is simple and boasts straightforward controls that are easy to operate, though it is not beautiful to behold.
A convenient storage bin on top of the dashboard features a large clamshell lid and it's big enough to hold a phone or small camera as well as maps and the like. The center console, door pockets, and front seatback pockets provide additional storage.
SE and SEL models have a front passenger seatback that folds down, making it possible to haul extra-long items. Heated front seats are an option on SEL models with leather seating. Fusions equipped with the new Sport Appearance package have red seat inserts (cloth or leather) and red stitching on the seats, steering wheel and center console.
The new Sync communications and entertainment system can recognize Bluetooth-enabled cell phones, access their phonebooks, and play calls and read text messages through the speakers. It also has a USB interface to connect with iPods and other MP3 players. Voice commands and/or steering wheel buttons can be used to control all functions. It's even possible to tell the system to play a specific artist, album or track stored on your MP3 player.
Rear-seat passengers will find a decent amount of leg room with nicely shaped front seatbacks that allow for plenty of foot space. Head and leg room measurements don't put the Fusion at the top of its class, but the back seat feels roomier than the numbers suggest.
The Fusion has a good-size trunk with a flat floor and low lift-over height, making it easy to load groceries, luggage or cargo. All Fusion models include a 60/40 split rear seatback, which allows for a generous amount of pass-through space. The scissor-type hinges avoid the annoyance of luggage being crushed by gooseneck hinges.
