THE FORD FUSION & ME
A week into my snazzy new Ford Fusion, color Octane - a patronizing malapropism for a dark gray-tinted shade of blue - I can confidently state that I love the fatso with all my heart, much more than any other material possession I have ever had. On road, it fills me with a sense of pride dads typically have when their kids top examinations and get their pics published on prominent pages of popular dailies.
With Ford’s pitch that this is an Urban-Activity-Vehicle (whatever that is supposed to mean), the car is not getting enough takers in the Hyundai Getz premium hatchback market, never mind the fact that Fusion is much bigger in terms of physical dimensions or engine capacity/horse power. So those with a hatchback view of life, see Fusion as nothing more than a large hatchback. Upon hearing the price tag, they go ’’Tchah! Ridiculous!’’ and move on. The 3-box (Sedan) buyers on the other hand typically like to show off their rear-side (I mean their car’s boot) if they are putting in Rs 7 lac+ for their car, hence they find the Fusion, a large hatchback, if you may, lacking in big-time snob value. The SUV buyers, on the other hand, wouldn’t give the Fusion a second look since its not really there. So, the Fusion is like a college movie hero in the first half, completely misunderstood and waiting for a chance to explain to the disdaining heroine.
Parental pride angle apart, I got thinking as to what the Fusion will be if it was a living, breathing human. For instance, what if my Fusion was a politician? The Fusion would squarely fall on the George W Bush slot. Why? Coz’ the folks who love him, they love him to death. The folks, who hate him, do so with all their heart. As the world’s most polarising leader, there are no two ways about one’s attitude towards Bush Jr. (though I must say that with respect to American politics, I’ve moved from widely left-of-center to curiously peeking on the right side while remaining at the center, thanks to total ineptitude of the Dems in the last 4 years). But we’re talking about the Fusion. A lot of folks find it overpriced, pretentious and a little lacking in something, considering the UAV positioning. But then again, guys like me love it for its awesome engine, attention-to-detail interiors, overall room and the (really) tall stance. So, George W it has to be.
What if the Fusion was a movie actor? It would then take the place of a silent, brooding, yet confident hero, who doesn’t come across as a man of strength for quite some time in the movie till...the foolish villain provokes him thru physical or verbal taunts when the hero, sufficiently stoked, rams his entire hidden power into the hapless villain’s ribcage, sending him sprawling in slow motion. If the villain’s side-kicks haven’t run away at this stage, the hero can send them packing too, since provoking our hero is like poking a stick into a fully laden beehive. In Hollywood, actors like Kevin Costner and may be even Mel Gibson in some of his latter movies may fit the bill. Harrison Ford in Witness can be another example. Closer home, I’ve been seeing Abhishek Bachhan donning these kind of roles of late in Hindi movies. It could be the Shah Rukh of Main Hoon Na candyfloss fame as well, the uncool way-too-older guy in a graduate college suddenly turning macho and bashing up the baddies.
What this means to roadsters is that, one moment you could have the Fusion striding gently, keeping its 101bhp well under its hood when suddenly there is a need to zip due to a pesky Hyundai Getz or a swaggering Honda City nibbling at its tailgate when zoom...the Fusion goes gliding thru the traffic with its power steering doing precise calisthenics.
Take a sub-9 lac car in the Indian market, you won’t get anything more powerful (101bhp) or wide (1720mm) or with better ground clearance (198mm) or torque (146) or engine capacity (1600cc) or tyre size (15” wheels with 195mm width). Add to this, a commanding seating poisition, interior/luggage space and a host of small features typically taken for granted in the US market, but to be paid for in India... and I really didn’t have to think much further.
Let’s forget politicians and actors for a moment and think about what would it be if the Fusion can be anybody on earth? I guess then my car would really be me, an average city-man shackled by the vagaries of an IT job, grounded as a family guy, yet dreaming of outdoors and adventures, occasionally climbing mountains and trying to push the body’s physical limits during those infrequent moments while for lack of anything better, trying to be a regular in the neighborhood gym and run a few kilometers every day. The Fusion has got to be me. May be, that’s what product identity is all about.
And now, the DISCLAIMER:
· The views above are purely mine and are not supposed to be a sweeping generalization or a reflection of your views on automobile shootouts, American politics or movie preferences. Hence they would not coincide with your views, if they do, its purely “coincidental”, but heck, I don’t mind….
· Getz and City are both fine cars and have got fabulous reviews in mags, however, they’re not my cup-o-tea, if they’re yours, well, lets celebrate our diversity.
· The final word here is: “EACH MAN(WOMAN) UNTO HIS(HER) OWN”