Ford Fusion Titanium model has a Lane Keeping System and Auto Start-Stop.
Ford expects the 2013 Fusion to earn the highest safety ratings from both the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, as well as getting top marks from safety raters in Europe and Asia.
The Fusion is a so-called world car, one where the basic engineering was done in Dearborn, Mich., for a car that will be sold around the world. In Europe, for instance, our Fusion will be their Mondeo.
One example of the simultaneous engineering at work: the Fusion's front end is equipped to meet head-on and offset barrier standards for North America while still conforming to European standards for pedestrian protection.
Crash tests aside, the 2013 Fusion is also equipped or available with a roster of electronic safety aids:
Lane-Keeping System: A small, forward-facing camera behind the inside rear-view mirror "looks" down the road, monitoring lane lines to determine that the car is on course. The system will alert a driver if drowsiness or erratic lane-keeping is detected, and a steering wheel vibration signals if the car is drifting over lane markings. If ignored, Lane-Keeping will steer the car back into the proper lane position.
Adaptive cruise control: A forward-looking radar "looks" down the road when activated, slowing the Fusion when slower traffic or a crash is detected.
Active park assist: This self-parking system uses sensors to map out parallel parking and steer the car into position with the driver operating only the accelerator and brake pedals.
BLIS (Blind Spot Information System) with cross-traffic alert: Sensors in the rear quarter-panels detect blind-spot traffic, issuing audible and visual warnings if something is in your blind spot. Cross-traffic alert warns drivers of oncoming traffic when backing out of a parking space.