15 October 2002: Are you a young, single buyer on the look out for ‘a good car, out of the ordinary, with a bit more presence that what’s available in the B-Segment?’

If the answer is yes, then you have the right CV requirements to be a prospective buyer of the new Ford Fusion which is aimed really at city dwellers.

The other requirements include being good spenders, with a bit of know-how when it comes to fashion and brands. Oh, and you must be active and like entertaining as well.

The Fusion is described as being ‘Butch, Funky and Aspirational’. Perhaps hinting at the looks of a 4x4 but with much of the functionality of an MPV.

Speaking to Irish motoring journalists at a drive event yesterday, Ford of Ireland MD Eddie Murphy also saw it ‘as a great proposition for a young Mum’s taxi, ferrying kids to school and all the trucking around that youngsters demand’.

It’s just one of 45 new models and derivatives Ford is planning to deliver in a 5-year period. The 45 in 5 is the cornerstone of Ford’s European transformation and is at the heart of Ford’s strategy in Europe. The company is presently on Product 31, the C-Max, unveiled at the recent Paris Motor Show.

Eddie Murphy believes the small car market, which accounted for 25% of all car sales here last year, has been well served by the Ford Motor Company’s 45 in 5 strategy.

Built on the Fiesta platform, he described the Fusion as ‘a small car that acts like a bigger car’. He sees it as part of the company’s B-Segment offering and is gung-ho about taking on 2003 with ‘a full squad’.

On a short test run around mid-Kildare, we found it a good drive. The car we drove was the 1.4-lite diesel engine which was a little honey. But noise generally is a bit on the loud side. We’ve spoken about this before with the Fiesta. Ford should perhaps experiment with a change of tyres to those more suitable for Irish road surfaces.

The car is only 5cms higher than the Fiesta on which it is based which gives the impression of a big car. It also has what Ford calls ‘a command driving position’, which simply means you can see over the hedges. Visibility is great. Well, there ARE four side windows.

The interior is indeed light and airy, with so much glass and the unusually large design of the dashboard. Flexible space is another key attribute of the Fusion. There’s a handy storage area beneath the front passenger seat, ideal for keeping small valuable items out of sight; and a handy storage compartment on the dashboard.

The ‘creative’ space as Ford calls it includes a lidded cubby on the dash top, a huge flexibility in seating arrangements, and how the front seat folds to reveal a hard work space on its back.

Rear head restraints retract down over the seat back when not in use to make it easier to see out the rear window. The bonnet also has been designed so the driver can see more of the metal, making it easier to judge distances when parking or manoeuvering in traffic.

The seat folding system allows you to chose between, 5,4,3,2, or even one seat depending on your requirements. Rear seats folds down without the need to remove the head restraints.

There are three engine options - 1.4- and 1.6-litre petrol, and that 1.4-litre TDCi which is very much our favourite.

Prices from E16,675.