2013 Fusion Lights the Way to Driver Comfort

The standard ambient lighting in the 2013 Ford Fusion does a lot more than just provide a dash of sophistication to the car’s roomy and ergonomically designed interior. Because scientific research has shown that certain shades of light can have a real effect on drivers’ attitudes and behaviors, Ford engineers carefully selected ambient-lighting color choices to keep Fusion owners alert and responsive to whatever the road throws their way. “Lighting gives you a sense of orientation,” said Mahendra Dassanayake, Ford technical leader for Design. “It’s a unique combination of functionality and comfort. Lights, graphics and displays are critical to drivers; we need to make sure that information is presented to the customer in an effective way.” That’s why even though the new Fusion will allow drivers to choose from seven different ambient-lighting color schemes to meet their own specific preferences, all will help keep owners feeling fresh and relaxed. The Fusion’s palette will include ice blue, purple, blue, orange, red, white and green, leveraging, for example, the fact that ice blue has been shown to keep people cool and alert, greens are refreshing and relaxing, white is quiet and brilliant, etc., etc. It’s just one more way that the Fusion was developed specifically to enhance the connection between driver and vehicle. “Buying a car is very similar to dating,” said Michael Arbaugh, Ford’s interior chief designer. “You saw the exterior of the new Fusion, and were drawn to it. Now when you see the interior, you realize it’s more than just looks—you want to be in a long-term relationship.”