Ford Smartgauge to be featured in 2010 Fusion and Milan Hybrids

« That didn’t last long – Chrysler to drop Durango and Aspen hybrids | Main | First Solar to enter residential solar panel market »

Ford Smartgauge to be featured in 2010 Fusion and Milan Hybrids

By MB-BigB | October 31, 2008

Some new news out of Ford this week, with details about their new 2010 Fusion and Milan Hybrid models. In addition to the news that the first non SUV hybrid from Ford will get city mileage of 38 mpg (or 5 mpg better than the Toyota Camry Hybrid, which is what these cars are aimed at), Ford is talking about something they call their SmartGauge with EcoGuide. The SmartGauge with EcoGuide is a new full-color liquid crystal (LCD) display that will provide all sorts of information and “coach drivers into greener driving habits.”

While pricing hasn’t been announced, Autoblog reports that the Fusion and Milan hybrids will be based on the same hybrid system used in the Ford Escape Hybrid but that the newer version is smaller, lighter, more powerful, and cheaper to produce. The battery is 30 percent smaller in volume and weighs 23 percent less than the current battery used in the Escape.

The new SmartGuide will provide all sorts of information to the driver about fuel usage and engine performance, in addition to diagnostics. Alerts and information will be shown to alert drivers when the car is not being driven in a fuel efficient manner. Below is a picture of just one of the 4 modes available in the SmartGauge.