For those of you who never experienced the Cortina, it was a model which Ford produced for decades in Europe. The Ford Taurus of Europe would be a fairly accurate interpretation (In fact, it was actually called the Taurus in Germany). A true people's carriage, which went through 5 variations before it was replaced by the equally successful Ford Sierra (remember the XR4Ti?).

The Fusion range offers 3 power train configurations.

The Ford Motor Company on both sides of the pond has always been good at producing this type of vehicle. They seem to be able to exactly meet the needs of the family man in the street.

So what went wrong with the Fusion? Why has it not galloped away from the dealerships? Why are we not seeing them on every street corner?

Well I can't really figure that one out myself. Maybe we simply have too many choices nowadays. What with cars, four-door pickup trucks, CUV's and SUV's, the family buyer is almost spoilt for choice.

I know that the marketing, or lack of it, might have had something to do with it, but honestly, I can't for the life of me understand why the Fusion is not selling like hot cakes.

It is almost perfect in size for the average Canadian family, and the availability of AWD makes it a smart choice in car for our winter wonderland.

The Fusion range offers 3 power train configurations, the fuel efficient 160hp I-4 with a 5 speed manual, the same, but with a 5 speed automatic, or you can step up to the 221hp V6 with its 6 speed automatic.

The Fusion also comes in varying styles to match your individual requirements. If sport saloon looks are your bag, then there's a sport package just for you. If luxury and refinement is more your flavor, then the Fusion won't disappoint you there either.

My tester, which had all the toys, topped out at just shy of $36k.