Scott Burgess: Los Angeles Auto Show

Hot for Fusion hybrid

But limited production of Ford sedan model may frustrate would-be buyers

LOS ANGELES -- The big news for Ford Motor Co. is not the stylishly restyled sedan triplets the company will unveil this morning at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

For sure, the 2010 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan and Lincoln MKZ are vastly improved with new powertrains, reworked front ends and upgraded interiors. They will come teeming with technology and offer midsize sedan customers everything they want.

But will they put a dent in the segment that Toyota Motor Corp. rules with the Camry?

Probably not, despite carrying all of the Camry's credentials -- "Consumer Reports" recommendation, J.D. Powers IQS awards, and a top-notch ride. I see potential Ford customers -- the ones who decided to give the Blue Oval a second chance -- walking away from dealerships frustrated and shaking their heads.

Here's why -- and here's the real news:

Later today, Ford will unveil its two-mode hybrid versions of the Fusion and Milan. They will correctly claim that Ford is the first American company to build a true hybrid car. (General Motors Corp. offers a "hybrid" Saturn Aura and Chevrolet Malibu, but they do not ever drive by electric-only power. Start/stop technology is not a hybrid in my book.)

Ford executives rightly will tout the hybrids' high mileage, with first estimates pointing to this pair hitting 38 miles per gallon in city driving, besting the Camry hybrid by 5 mpg.

Give Ford some credit. The automaker has roughly 200 pending patents on this new hybrid system it developed. This is not a rehashed or borrowed system from Toyota as so many other people seem to think. It's true red, white and blue American ingenuity.

People will read about the hybrid, and say, "Hey, maybe I should look at one."

Then they'll head to a Ford dealership and learn they cannot buy one. Due to production constraints, Ford only intends to build about 25,000 hybrid Fusions and Milans a year.

It's like a restaurant showing a commercial for filet mignon but only offering a few steaks to customers.

Plenty of improvements

Of course, the overhauled gas-only models are not chopped liver. The new front end gives the trio a much more refined and muscular look. The new powertrains, which include a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and a 3-liter V-6, are more powerful and efficient than the engines they replace. The inline-four will outperform the Camry and the Honda Accord by 3 mpg and 2 mpg, respectively.

After sitting in the new Fusion sport model, which includes a 3.5-liter V-6, I can attest that the interiors are more comfortable and luxurious. Ford will offer Sync, its industry-best voice-activated control system for your phone, iPod and navigation system. It adds TravelLink to all three vehicles, a system using Sirius satellite radio that makes the navigation system interactive.

Additional improvements include adding a blind spot detection system that works on the highway and in parking lots.

Really, this is the best midsize sedan Ford has ever offered. It's the one it should have offered two years ago when the Fusion first arrived on the market, and I have no doubt people buying it will like it.

But, frankly, it's not enough. To compete in the midsize sedan segment, a new entry has to offer more for less and entice a buyer to try a top-notch vehicle. High mileage, comfortable interiors and stalwart reliability sell cars. Ford is getting there, but in consumer minds, it's not there yet.

The success behind the Chevy Malibu has been that it's more stylish and comfortable than the competition and performs on par with the best. The Fusion strives for that, and in the area of technology, it surpasses every midsize sedan.

However, what car people want is the hybrid, and when they show up to buy one, only a few will hum out of the lot in electric-only mode, gazing at the ultra cool instrument panel built specifically for the hybrid model.

The rest will just leave.

Scott Burgess is the auto critic for The Detroit News. Reach him at sburgess@detnews.com.