Dearborn, Michigan – Ford has announced that its 2010 Fusion Hybrid, scheduled to go on sale in early 2009, has been certified at 41 mpg (US) in the city and 36 mpg on the highway (approximately 5.7 and 6.5 L/100 km), which the company said makes it the most fuel-efficient midsize car in America.

Ford said that these figures beat the Toyota Camry Hybrid by 8 mpg (US) in the city and 2 mpg on the highway, and even undercuts the much smaller Honda Civic Hybrid by 1 mpg in city driving.

“The new Ford Fusion Hybrid not only significantly exceeds the competition, but also embodies Ford’s 100 per cent commitment to fuel efficiency leadership, quality, innovation and advanced technology,” said Derrick Kuzak, group vice president, Global Product Development. “The Ford team set the bar high – to develop America’s most fuel-efficient midsize sedan – and that’s what they delivered.”

The Fusion, which will also be sold in the U.S. as the Mercury Milan Hybrid, is able to travel up to 47 mph (75.6 km/h) in all-electric mode, which Ford said is faster than all other currently available hybrids. The system’s Advanced Intake Variable Cam Timing allows the vehicle to more seamlessly transition from gasoline to electric mode and back again.

The system includes a smaller, lighter nickel-metal hydride battery that produces 20 per cent more than the previous hybrid system, used in the Escape Hybrid, along with a new 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine that produces 155 horsepower and 136 lb-ft of torque, an electronically controlled continuously variable transmission, a climate control system that monitors cabin temperature and only runs the gasoline engine as needed to heat the cabin, an electric air conditioning compressor, and regenerative braking to capture energy normally lost through friction.

The new Fusion Hybrid also includes Ford’s new SmartGauge with EcoGuide, a unique instrument cluster that helps to coach drivers on how to achieve maximum fuel efficiency and performance.