IT WON’T be long before car manufacturers publish their brochures with a glossary of acronyms. After the introduction of SUVs (Sports Utility Vehicles) and MPVs (Multi Purpose Vehicles), we are presented with the Ford Fusion, the first UAV (Urban Activity Vehicle). This, the marketing blurb declares with some confidence, combines the best elements of an SUV and an MPV in a compact package.

The Fusion is based on the platform of the new Fiesta but seeks to appeal to trendy urbanites with chunky styling and a larger, more versatile interior. It will cost from £9,995 and the advertising campaign will target young couples with children, or, to be un-PC, mums on the school run. It will try to convince them that the Fusion is a utilitarian object with added desirability.

Given this funky objective, it is curious that Ford’s management opted for such a conservative styling theme. Trendy young urbanites shop at Ikea, drink bottled lager and lust after Prada lingerie, so they are unlikely to be seduced by a car that looks like an ill-conceived Tonka toy. The tall headlights are at odds with the slot-like grille and the chopped tailgate is bland to the point of anonymity. After the radical Ka and Focus, it seems that Ford is once more designing by focus group.

The Fusion shares its wheelbase with the Fiesta but it is longer, wider and taller overall. The increase in height has been used to create a more upright driving position, which has packaging advantages and helps to create an SUV-feel. The driver sits 90mm higher than they do in a Ford Ka, with a bent-legged driving position that provides a commanding view of the road ahead. It is also possible to see all four corners of the car from the driver’s seat, which, when coupled with power steering, makes parking a doddle.

The fascia design, though, is once again a disappointment. The styling lacks imagination and the round air vents look too much like an afterthought. The quality is also poor — the doors and fascia are trimmed in the kind of hard-feeling plastic last used in Japanese cars of the Eighties.

Three trim levels are available, cunningly called Fusion 1, 2 and 3. The Fusion 1 dispenses with such niceties as electric windows, but it does have central locking and twin front airbags. Upgrading to the Fusion 2 adds £1,000 to the list price and air-conditioning, powered windows and mirrors, a heated front windscreen and a CD player to the specification.

The flagship Fusion 3 costs another £500 and is only available with a 1.6-litre petrol engine. It boasts an uprated CD player, alloy wheels, an alarm and front foglamps. However, given the level of luxury specification, it is disappointing that anti-lock brakes and side and curtain airbags cost extra.

As well as providing a commanding driving position, the boxy or “cubed out” design of the Fusion helps to make the best use of the available cabin space. Both passenger and luggage room are substantially improved when compared with the Fiesta. The low load lip and near-vertical tailgate also provide a generous and versatile load area.

Three different engines are available, all of which are shared with the Fiesta. There are two petrol engines — an entry level 1.4-litre with 79bhp and a range-topping 1.6 with 99bhp. The 1.6-litre car is predictably the most sprightly, but it is still no fireball, as the 0-60mph time of 10.9sec confirms.

The pick is the turbodiesel, which was developed in conjunction with Peugeot Citroën. Performance off the line is a little tardy — 0-60mph takes a profligate 15.5sec — but once it is into its stride, the turbodiesel provides decent mid-range pull and strong refinement, making it a relaxing companion. An average fuel consumption of 64.2mpg is likely to prove offensive to the Opec countries.

The suspension system is also shared with the Fiesta, but it has been reworked to accommodate the Fusion’s different proportions and to increase the suspension travel in line with its urban ambitions. Unfortunately, the latter seems to have undermined the ride quality and passengers will certainly feel surface imperfections.

Thankfully, Ford’s engineers have managed to retain a large proportion of the Fiesta’s handling attributes. The Fusion is fun to drive with crisp, accurate steering response, plenty of grip and limited body roll. As a tool for nipping about congested urban streets, the Fusion has much to commend it.

This is by no means a poor car but it is questionable whether it is worth a £1,000 premium when compared with the equivalent Fiesta. The extra versatility is useful, but this has been achieved at the cost of some of the performance and ride quality. It is also difficult not to be disappointed with the Fusion’s aesthetics. The concept of an urban activity vehicle conjures exciting expectations of a radical, stylish alternative that is as useful as it is fashionable. Sadly, these are expectations that the Fusion fails to fulfil.