Ford gauges interest in Fusion’s dashboard

"The safe amount of look-away time [from the road] is usually between .6 and 1 second," says Dan Formosa, co-founder and product designer at Smart. Complex features like graphs of fuel usage over time were quickly nixed.

To make drivers at ease with the information presented, designers simulated analog equipment. Fuel gauges, for instance, are represented by an image of a tank filled with an oil-like yellow liquid. The display is larger than a needle on a traditional fuel gauge. So with a quick downward glance, a driver can see whether fuel is low.

In order to play into the research finding that drivers are looking for a high score when it comes to fuel efficiency, one high-resolution LCD screen on the dash features an eye-catching rendering of curling vines blooming with green leaves. It's more than a decorative element; it's a data-visualization tool intended to change the way people drive.

If a driver wastes gas by aggressively accelerating or slamming on the brakes, for example, the vine withers and leaves disappear. More leaves appear if individuals drive more economically. The system will be standard on all new Fusion Hybrids, which will start at about $27,000.

Though the true test of who might buy the car is more than six months away, the Fusion Hybrid is already generating buzz with auto bloggers.

"Ford makes a good case for the Fusion," says Wes Brown, a principal at the Los Angeles automotive marketing firm Iceology, noting that it has superior fuel economy to Toyota's Camry hybrid, with which it will compete. The Smart Gauge, he adds, could very well be the kind of feature that creates brand loyalty with green-minded consumers.

Of course, Ford urgently needs to distinguish itself. Though the company scored a mild hit with its 2004 gas-electric Escape SUV, it has yet to post hybrid sales that compare to those of industry-leader Toyota, which has sold over 1 million Priuses. At least a half-dozen new hybrids from foreign competitors such as Honda and Nissan are due to hit the market over the next two years.

Plus, Ford isn't the only automaker placing bets on attention-getting green gadgets. Honda's 2010 Insight, which will be available next year for almost $10,000 less than the Fusion, also features a set of futuristic-looking gauges. Toyota's third generation Prius, which is due next year, will likely feature some kind of visualization tool of the car's green features.

"Ultimately, Ford needs to prove to the market it can lead, not just follow," says Brown. The Fusion's dashboard, says Greenberg, is an attempt to leapfrog the company's outsized competition and do just that.

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