The 2018 Ford Fusion Platinum Energi.

The Ford Fusion will probably be the last conventional four-door sedan the Ford Motor Company builds.  By now you've likely heard the news that over the next two years, Ford will end production of most of its passenger cars. The Fiesta, Focus and Fusion are goners.  Market forces at work. The trend is sharply away from three-box (hood, passenger compartment, trunk) cars.

The Ford portfolio in North America will consist of the F-150 and larger (F-250, F-350, etc.) pickups, the Expedition SUV, crossovers, a crossover variant of the Focus called the Focus Active, and the Mustang.

Word is the Fusion will outlast the Fiesta and Focus by a few months, making it the last one out the door.  But it will go with head held high.  This generation Fusion is the best, and I'll go so far as to say the best sedan Ford has ever built.

2018 Ford Fusion Platinum Energi interior.

From sleek exterior styling to a roomy, comfort-filled, nicely appointed interior, Ford's last shot at the American sedan is the one that finally hit the bulls-eye.  I just happened to be spending a week in the 2018 Ford Fusion Platinum Energi when the news of the product realignment came, making it all the more clear that, for the shrinking number of us who appreciate a truly good sedan, Ford's making one right now.

Energi is the plug-in hybrid model, giving you 20 miles of pure electric range on a full charge before switching to hybrid gas/electric mode.   If you drive less than 20 miles in a day and always charge it, you could go months before an unexpected trip causes you to use a single drop of gasoline.  With a 50-mile roundtrip commute and no charging station at my office, that's not me...but still, the Energi took gasoline out of the equation for 40 percent of the daily drive, and delivered stellar fuel economy (EPA estimate 42 mpg) in hybrid mode.  The combined MPGe, factoring in both electric and hybrid operation, is 97.

Fusion Energis can be had for as little as $31,400 in SE trim, but our tester was the top-of-the line Platinum, which begins at $41,305.  For that extra almost ten grand, you get a lot of luxury-level niceties, including:

• Configurable daytime running lamps.
• Auto-dimming driver's side mirror.
• Bright exhaust tips.
• LED fog lamps.
• Automatic high beams.
• LED headlamps.
• Heated, manually-folding dual power mirrors with memory and turn signal indicators.
• Power moonroof.
• Security approach lamps.
• LED taillamps.
• Rain-sensing wipers.
• Adaptive cruise control with stop and go.
• Aluminium sport pedals.
• Dual-zone electronic automatic climate control.
• Heated/cooled 10-way power adjustable front seats with memory for the driver.
• Rotary gear shift dial.
• Premium leather seats.
• Two smart-chargins USB ports.
• Premium leather-wrapped heated steering wheel.
• One-touch power windows.
• A 12-speaker Sony audio system.
• Blind spot information.
• Enhanced active park assist.
• Intelligent access with pushbutton start.
• Lane-keeping system.
• Rearview camera.
• Remote start.
• Reverse sensing system.
• Smartgauge with EcoGuide.
• Eight-inch touchscreen.
• SYNC with Apple CarPlay.
• Universal garage door opener.
• Voice-activated navigation.
• With that much content in the standard equipment column, the available options are few---our tested had 18-inch machined-aluminum pocket wheels ($695) and rear inflatable safety belts ($225).

2018 Ford Fusion Platinum Energi.

The 2017 Ford Fusion Hybrid.

Earlier this week, our Publisher and Executive Editor wrote a highly favorable review of the 2017 Ford Fusion Energi, which is a plug-in hybrid.  Plug-in hybrids have their advantages, namely greater pure electric range before switching over to the standard gasoline/electric hybrid mode, but they also have drawbacks.

For those of us who are apartment dwellers, a plug-in is less practical.  We are unlikely to have 240-volt chargers in our garage---or a garage, for that matter.  Running an extension cord from your apartment is likely to get you evicted, or at the very least, your extension cord stolen. And that's why Ford makes a non-plug-in version as well, which is what we drove.

2017 Ford Fusion Hybrid badging.

The 2017 Ford Fusion Hybrid is as simple as it comes.  Put gasoline in the tank when the fuel gauge indicates it is low.  The electric part takes care of itself, thanks to regeneration from braking and other sources inside the car itself.

2017 Ford Fusion Hybrid regenerative braking gauge.

The Fusion Hybrid not only regenerates energy through braking, but a handy gauge reports back to you on how efficiently you brake, coaching you on your technique to maximize the amount of energy that is put back into the hybrid batteries.

It may not have the extended pure electric range of the Energi, but once that's gone, the Fusion Hybrid and the Energi return the exact same EPA-estimated 43 miles per gallon in the city and 41 on the highway.

2017 Ford Fusion Hybrid instrument panel.

There are four trim levels for the 2017 Ford Fusion Hybrid.  S is the base, SE next, followed by Titanium and the top-of-the-line Platinum.

Our test vehicle was the SE.  Base price $26,840, with automatic halogen headlamps, intermittent wipers, power front seats, dual-zone electronic climate control, active noise cancellation, hill start assist, remote keyless entry, push-button start, a rear view camera, 17-inch wheels and a nine-speaker audio system with SiriusXM Satellite Radio all standard.

That is an extremely reasonable price for a very well-equipped car, but as usual, our test vehicle had options:

• The SE Hybrid Luxury Package:  Memory driver's 10-way power seat, leather-trimmed seats, heated front seats, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, bright exterior window and door trim moldings, body-colored door handles with chrome inserts, intelligent access with remote start, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, LED fog lamps with chrome bezel, LED headlamps and taillamps, upgraded heated sideview mirrors, with memory, turn indicators, auto-dimming on the driver's side and security approach lamps and warm interior accents.  $2,995.
• Burgundy Velvet paint.  $395.
• Upgraded 17-inch premium wheels, bundled with a reverse sensing system and the SYNC 3 infotainment suite.  $995.
• Enhanced active park assist.  $995.
• Adaptive cruise with stop and go. $1,190.
• Driver assist package with lane keeping system, blind spot information system and cross-traffic alert. $1,575.

The 2017 Ford Fusion Platinum Energi.

I said it about eight years ago on this very eight-and-a-half-year-old website:  The market for alternative power (hybrids, plug-ins) is not in little boxes that get great fuel economy with a gasoline engine.  It's with larger cars that experience a big jump in mileage when you apply the tech.

Case in point: The 2017 Ford Fusion Platinum Energi.

2017 Ford Fusion Platinum Energi.

The Ford Fusion is a family sedan, doing battle with the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Nissan Altima, Chevrolet Malibu, Mazda 6, Hyundai Sonata, Kia Optima, Volkswagen Passat and Subaru Legacy.  In its more basic trim levels, the Fusion is an economical choice, the SE the Phoenix Bureau tested two years ago ringing in at $27,890 and getting an EPA-estimated 25 city/37 highway from its 175 horsepower 2.5-liter four.

Those are some impressive numbers in this car's size class.  The only way to improve on them in a Fusion are the Fusion Hybrid (which the Phoenix Bureau will be reviewing in a few days) or the Fusion Energi, a plug-in hybrid.

The advantage to the plug-in?  A bigger battery pack than the Fusion Hybrid, allowing for 22 miles of range on pure electric power before the hybrid gas/electric powerplant kicks in. If you drive less than 22 miles a day, and plug it in every night, you can go a long time before touching a drop of the fuel in your tank.  And, unlike a pure electric, it won't leave you stranded as long as you remember to actually buy gas when the needle heads for "E".

Also nifty:  A charge from your home wall socket only takes about five hours.  Two and a half if you have 240-volt capability.  And that's because you're charging for 22 miles of range, not 100 as in some pure electrics that need 14 to 16 hours to charge.

The EPA gives the Fusion Energi two estimates:  97 MPG combined city/highway electric equivalent, and, for those of you who get lazy and don't always plug in, a straight 42 MPG when the battery pack is at zero and you're driving it as a normal hybrid (that's the same EPA estimate the Fusion Hybrid gets).

2017 Ford Fusion Energi interior.

For 2017, all Fusions get an exterior and interior freshening that give the car a more premium feel while reducing its dependence on its Aston Martin-influenced styling.  It works.  As does the Fusion Energi in daily driving.  My office is 24 miles from my home, so I dipped into the fuel tank two miles before arriving at work and drove home in hybrid mode during the week I had our tester.  And while driving, the Energi is gimmick-free, unless you're watching the eco-related gauges.  It feels and drives like a smooth, comfortable family sedan.

The Fusion Platinum Energi has a base price of $41,120.  That's because the Platinum trim level brings with it some very nice standard equipment, including dual-zone climate control, heated and cooled front seats, a 12-speaker Sony audio system, a power moonroof and a suite of safety features including blind spot information, enhanced active park assist, lane keeping and pre-collision assist.

And that's where the tab stops, save for $875 in destination and delivery charges...making the bottom line $41,995.  But that's before the Fusion Energi Discount right there on the window sticker, so the real bottom line comes to $39,995.  A reasonable price for what you get.  And if your daily commute is less than 22 miles, the gasoline savings could be considerable.