1 Year ! yes it’s going to be a year since I bought the beauty and drove it from Chandigarh to Delhi. What a year. I’ll remember it for the whole of my life. Probably even more than the year of the birth of my little girl (my best friend).
I had test driven some real mean cars...Fiesta, Civic, City, SRV, Safari, Scorpio and Fiat Adventure. but the moment I sat on the seat of THE FUSION, all demons of confusion disappeared in a flash. She was cool.
And one year down the line, I wake up every morning with the astounding feeling of possessing a Fusion. And I see it in the eyes of the drivers (of most cars driving towards me). In fact there have been times when, I have seen a Beauty of a car coming opposite me, and then realized it’s a Fusion. There have been occasions where the Civics, Fiestas, Corrolas and Cities have overtaken me but those were only when I decided to let them by....a more powerful engine need not necessarily (in fact never) wins on the Indian roads. You require the peppiness, U require the wheels, and last but not the least U require the ground clearance. The Babe has it all, besides a very refind engine, beautiful spacious interiors, a SUV type sitting position, and an SUV’is stance. Doesn’t just look mean. IT IS MEAN. The next car with similar attributes is probably Terracan. Just a few lakhs more. Rest, no comparison on the Indian roads.
buy an Enzo Ferrari, a McLaren SLR GT, a Dodge Viper, a Porsche 911 Turbo, an Aston Martin vanquish.....buy what you feel like....but take my word, in India, on Indian roads, in Indian traffick, and on the VERY Indian potholes, you will reach your destination before any of these.
As far as Indian cars go...the Civic, City, Fusion, Corolla...will bottom out on each of the ill-designed speed breakers and ever-present potholes. The SUVs will set you back by a few lakhs extra, will not fit your garage, will not suit your wife’s idea of a perfect car, may not permit her to drive....
But a Fusin does all that, and with aplomb, grace, power and with the pride of a stallion who knows that stakes are on him.
If you really want to buy a car in this budget, go for the Fusion. Ask me why. Only problem I faced was (now with the new model I guess that has been addressed) was the lack of ABS but still, buy it, it’s a Driver’s car (no, not that your driver will take it away, but for people who have been driving other’s crazy !)