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Who is FunkMaster Flex and why the heck does he like the 2006 Ford Fusion family sedan?

Well, apparently he is some sort of big time disc jockey in New York, a hip hop guru for those who iPod Fergie and the Black Eyed Peas. The Ford people made a deal with him to customize the Fusion -- to make a Flex Fusion that was shown recently at the Specialty Equipment Marketing Association convention in Las Vegas. Apparently, the Funkster is part of many "innovative plans to make Fusion relevant to the African-American consumer," a Ford news release says.

Oh, please. Just give us the car. And it's a good one, too. Ford doesn't need to prop it up with these sorts of silly promotions, trying somehow to convince the world that this ultra, ultra conservative auto maker is cool, thus by extension so is the Fusion.

Look, the Fusion has the makings of a hit, despite the odd, jumbo-sized Ford blue oval badges on the grille and trunk. We can't vouch for long-term reliability and resale values in the real world. Not yet. The car only went into production at Ford's Hermosillo, Mexico, plant in August.

But we can report that it scored a four-start rating in U.S. government frontal crash tests, with five being the best score possible. So the usual belts and air bags do their work just fine. If you want more, side-impact bags and head-curtain air bags are available for $795. Antilock brakes are standard even on the least expensive models.

We can also tell you that October Fusion sales were strong.

"Our dealership is inviting the public to evaluate the Ford Fusion against the competition in head-to-head test drives," said Allan Pearson of Discovery Ford in Burlington, Ont. "Early consumer reaction to the Fusion has been incredible."

Okay, okay. Pearson does sell Fords, so he might just be a teensy, weensy bit biased. Yet, Canadian and U.S. Fusion sales in October topped 4,200, which was 35 per cent more than Ford expected.

"The Fusion is going to be the 300C for Ford," Art Spinella, president of CNW Marketing Research in Bandon, Ore., predicted in an interview with the Detroit Free Press. He was referring to the hit that Chrysler had with its full-size sedan last year. "This was essential for them to do this."

According to the Power Information Network, a division of J.D. Power and Associates, the '06 Fusion is on dealer showroom floors for an average of 11 days before being sold. That puts it in Toyota Camry quick-sales territory. And PIN figures show the average Fusion buyer is about 46, versus 51 for leading midsize rivals, such as the Camry and Honda Accord.

All good news for Ford. Now, as Spinella noted, Ford just needs to "hope they don't have a recall."

So far so good.

In the meantime, forget all about the Ford Taurus, which in its last days became the quintessential rental fleet car. The Fusion is nothing like it at all.

Take the steering. If your only recent experience with a Ford sedan is the Taurus, you will be positively shocked by the Fusion's firm, tight, responsive steering. Where Taurus steering was overboosted and vague, the Fusion is downright slick.

Same for the ride. The Fusion doesn't waft along like a parade float. Not a bit. In fact compared with its major rivals, the Fusion feels almost stiff and that's a good thing. The brakes are snappy, the seats supportive, the cornering almost flat. There just isn't anything soft or sloppy about the Fusion's road manners.

It seems a shame, really, that former Ford product development boss Phil Martens quit in an apparent executive-suite tug-of-war before he could enjoy some of the accolades the Fusion is now getting. Martens, of course, oversaw the development of the Fusion and its Lincoln Zephyr sibling, both of which are based on the Mazda6 platform.

In the '06 Ford products, the Mazda6 basics were stretched and widened to create a larger midsize sedan package with a stiff chassis and big brakes. That said, the Fusion is not as long, tall, wide or roomy as the old Taurus. But it's certainly big enough. Especially the back seat, which has a surprising amount of head room.

Before Martens got involved in the Fusion, he had a huge hand in the development of the Mazda6 midsize car as head of product development for Hiroshima-based Mazda, of which Ford owns a controlling interest. Look for Martens to make a comeback somewhere in the car business. Perhaps even at Ford, when and if there is yet another inevitable shuffling of the management ranks. In any case, Ford plans to spin off up to 10 new models based on the Mazda6 platform, and Martens had a big hand in putting that product strategy in place.

Martens and his crew in research and development also have done a nice job of updating the Fusion's optional 3.0-litre V-6, which is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. Both are based on what's in the larger Ford Five Hundred sedan introduced a year ago.

Except Fusion's engine is tuned to produce 221 horsepower instead of the 203 hp in the heavier Five Hundred. The lighter, nimbler Fusion is obviously quicker than the roomier Five Hundred. Nonetheless, the Fusion has a surprisingly wide turning circle, which makes tight parking manoeuvres a bit of a chore.

Just about everything else is very positive. The wedge shape is crisply stylish and the dual exhaust pipes on V-6 models hint at the racy character underneath the sheet metal.

Inside, the cabin has big, round gauges that are easy to read. Most controls have big buttons that can be operated while wearing winter gloves. I just wonder why Ford chose to use rocker switches rather than big knobs for tuning the radio.

Obviously, I prefer the V-6, but the 2.3-litre four-cylinder in less expensive versions is rated at a fairly healthy 160 hp. It's available with a five-speed manual or a five-speed automatic transmission.

In either case, V-6 or four-banger, the suspension design and tuning is almost identical. Good thing, too. The setup allows the Fusion to manage cornering quite nicely. Honestly, this is an engaging car to drive.

The Fusion proves Ford can produce a pretty darn good four-door. After 20 years of watching the Taurus sink steadily into rental-car obscurity, it's good to see a sedan from Ford that looks good and drives with some distinction. With more models in the new product pipeline, Ford needs to keep this sort of thing coming.

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Specifications

2006 Ford Fusion

Type : Four-door sedan

Price: $22,999-$28,299

Engine: 2.3-litre in-line four (DOHC) and 3.0-litre V-6 (DOHC)

Transmission: five-speed manual, five-speed automatic and six-speed automatic

Output: 160 hp/156 lb-ft of torque, 221 hp/205 lb-ft of torque

Fuel economy (litres/100 km): NA

Alternatives: Chevrolet Malibu, Pontiac G6, Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger, Honda Accord, Mitsubishi Galant, Nissan Altima, Subaru Legacy, Mazda6, Hyundai Sonata, Kia Magentis, Toyota Camry, Volkswagen Passat.

Like: Handles, steers and brakes like a sporty sedan. Good looking design, inside and out. Decent room in the cabin and the trunk.

Don't like: Big Ford badges are needlessly excessive. Rocker-arm radio controls are awkward. Engine noises are not as sporty as the car looks and acts.

jcato@globeandmail.ca