The 2017 Ford Fusion Sport Goes Wild With One Button

Ford hasn’t told us when we’ll see the 2017 Fusion Sport on dealer lots, but it does want us to know how the 325-horsepower sedan alters its personality.

The top-shelf performance variant of Ford’s midsize family hauler lets its hair down with the press of a single button, which switches seven settings from “Jekyll” mode to “Hyde.”

Powered by a twin-turbo 2.7-liter Ecoboost V6 making 325 hp and 380 pounds-feet of torque, Ford bills the all-wheel-drive Fusion Sport as the most powerful vehicle in its class. When announced in June, some would-be buyers of certain German sedans might have seen it as a less-expensive alternative.

The automaker released an image today that shows where, and how, the magic happens. In the center of the new rotary dial shifter lies the sport mode button. When pressed, seven things happen.

First, the suspension tightens up, with continuously controlled dampers flattening the sedan during hard cornering. Cabin sound-deadening measures are designed to be defeated by the Ecoboost motor (Ford promises an “entertaining” engine note). The steering feedback responds to match the performance settings, while the sedan’s paddle shifters become fully enabled, leaving the driver in full control of gear changes.

The real news lies in the drivetrain. When in sport mode, the engine quickens throttle response, while the transmission does everything it can to hold lower gears, especially during cornering and braking. Downshifts while braking are rev-matched for smoothness, and the tranny will hold a gear after the driver lifts off the accelerator. Overall, the transmission is “aggressively” programmed to hold lower gears for maximum torque.

To top it all off, a sport mode icon also appears in the gauge cluster, which is hardly a setting worth mentioning, Ford. Okay, six vehicle functions that actually matter will see important changes when in sport mode.

The Fusion Sport carries a MSRP of $33,475, and is clearly positioned as a performance bargain. Ford hasn’t released a full list of specifications for the model, which goes on sale sometime this fall.

[Image: Ford Motor Company]