2013 Ford Fusion launches with Ryan Seacrest into fuel economy battle

It's been ages since a Detroit automaker attempted to turn the public launch of a new car into a bona fide media event, as they were once able to do when they controlled 75 percent of the market and people still had landline phones. Ford went all out today, staging a spectacle in New York's Times Square and other cities to launch the 2013 Ford Fusion and tout its impressive 47 mpg mileage figure. Whether more than a handful of buyers will opt for it remains as mysterious as Ryan Seacrest's celebrity.

The Fusion ranks as the key launch for Ford in the next 12 months, testing whether Ford can overcome lingering quality questions and produce a midsize sedan that competes head-on with the class-leading models from the Japanese. Much of today's show business -- featuring Seacrest and the giveaway of 100 new Fusions -- involved touting the 47 city/47 highway fuel efficiency number of the Fusion Hybrid, which handily beats the Toyota Camry Hybrid's 40 mpg, but doesn't surpass the Toyota Prius' 50 mpg. (For some reason, Ford leaves the Prius out of its definition of "midsize" sedans, which the Prius has grown to fit.)