Driving cars for a living never fails to throw up surprises. That car you thought was fantastic when you drove it on billiard smooth German roads can seem a bit raggedy on British tarmac. The sports coupe that seemed astoundingly beautiful a year ago can now look a bit of an old tart. Sometimes the surprise comes when reacquainting yourself with new variants of cars that initially left you a little cold. That's where you need to shelve your preconceptions and, occasionally, swallow your professional pride. Such a case in point is the Ford Fusion 1.6-litre TDCi.

Most people were puzzled by the Fusion when it first appeared. It sits on a Fiesta chassis but is a little bit taller and a little longer than the standard Fiesta hatch without offering the ultimate in supermini-MPV practicality. Early design sketches had shown a rugged looking vehicle with 4x4 appeal but when the Fusion first appeared in showrooms, it had none of that urban attitude. As a result, the car got a bit of a drubbing in the press from which it has barely recovered. It deserves a second chance though, and when fitted with Ford's excellent 90bhp 1.6-litre TDCi engine makes a very appealing package.

The Fusion cabin is a little bigger than that of the Fiesta and one of the downsides of this is that there's a little more in the way of engine noise apparent when inside. The 1.6-litre diesel engine is one of the more refined of its ilk, but drive a Fusion 1.6TDCi directly after its Fiesta equivalent (as Ford rather short sightedly organised on their launch event) and the Fusion seems not only louder but also less assured in its handling and ride. All things are relative, however, and once you get used to the higher levels of body roll, it's possible to drive the Fusion 1.6TDCi with quite some urge and still get plenty back from the car.

The steering is well weighted, the gearshift is good, the brakes are exemplary and the engine has enough guts to pull with real strength up hills. The peak torque figure of 204Nm comes at a lowly 1,750rpm, which means that you won't need to beat the engine to death to get great performance. Drive the car a little more sedately and you'll be able to average over 60mpg. On a run this car can exceed 70mpg, quite astonishing for a vehicle that can offer the driver a generous portion of fun. Show me any other vehicle that can comfortably accommodate five and luggage, return these sort of fuel figures and still be a blast to drive and I'll be very surprised. Suddenly the Fusion seems to be coming back from the dead.

Prices start at £12,410 for the Zetec version, through £13,010 for the Zetec Climate and topping out at £13,610 for the equipment stuffed Fusion Plus. These work out at around £700 model for model over the equivalent Fusion 1.4 TDCi. Is it worth it? Well, if you're a keen driver, then yes, the additional expense is well worth forking out for. If the car's just going to be used as a second or third workhorse, the smaller diesel engine is probably the better bet. In fact, the entry-level 1.4-litre petrol powerplant would make even more financial sense if your annual mileages were ultra low. Fleet users will be encouraged to hear that emissions for this vehicle are rated at a mere 122g/km.

"The 1.6TDCi engine has enough guts to pull with real strength up hills"

Petrol people however, will miss out on the excellence of Ford's latest diesel engine. Did we say Ford? In actual fact, this unit was developed by PSA Peugeot Citroen with a bit of Ford input and a lot of Ford cash. Hence its fitment in cars like the Citroen C3 and Peugeot's 307 models. Installing a heavy diesel engine into the front of a lightweight car usually means all sorts of decidedly sub-optimal fixes regarding the ride and handling. If the engine in question were lighter, you wouldn't need industrial strength front suspension, or a set-up that caused the car to understeer wildly in order to provide some modicum of ride comfort. That's the basic premise of the Duratorq TDCi engine, tipping the scales at around 100kg.

The Fusion has lately been revised, with restyling for the bumpers and grille, revised headlamps and tail lamps, thicker body side mouldings and body coloured handles and mirrors on selected models. Inside, a redesign concentrates on improving the feeling of quality and space. Highlights include a smarter fascia with easier to read instruments and a soft-feel upper section to the instrument panel. It's certainly a big improvement on the cheap-feeling plastic of the original model.

For something aimed so deliberately at the young and image-conscious, the Fusion pays more than mere lip service to mundane criteria like practicality and comfort. There are masses of passenger space with a roof that's almost gratuitously high, giving an overall impression of airy expanse. Ford seem to have missed a trick in not building in more MPV-style tricks however, the fixed airline-style table on the folded front passenger seat back being about the only nod in this direction. The rear seats neither slide, swivel nor detach and the boot lacks hooks or a two-piece tailgate. Still, the car can carry an impressive 337 litres and comes equipped with a cargo net and split/fold rear seats, so it gets most of the basics right. That theme carries on throughout the cabin, which is functional, workmanlike but not endowed with any great flair.

The Fusion got a rough ride when it first appeared. Although its relative value proposition versus a Fiesta is still open to question, the choice of engines needn't be. If you can afford it and if you enjoy a spirited steer, get this 1.6-litre TDCi version. It'll make you look at a Fusion in a whole new light.

TOP 2 FUSION DEALS

The results below show the top FUSION deals on buyacar

	Ford Fusion 1.6 TDCi Zetec 5dr [Climate] Estate
	ETR	Mthly £202	Saving £2,574	Price £11,516
	Ford Fusion 1.6 TDCi Plus 5dr Estate
	ETR	Mthly £213	Saving £2,696	Price £11,994

typical 10.95% APR

PCP finance quote over 48 months,  10,000 miles pa,  deposit of £1000