2017 Ford Fusion Sport is a 325-horsepower shot at BMW, Audi

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Ford is hoping its sportier version of the 2017 Fusion will be able to compete with its German cousins BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz.

Ford added the new 2017 Fusion Sport trim level at starting price of $33,475, which will be available starting this summer. The Sport is among 12 different trim levels Ford offers for the 2017 Fusion that consumers can choose from, up from eight from the 2016 version. Besides the Sport, the other new trim levels for 2017 include the Platinum, Hybrid Platinum and the Energi Platinum.

With the introduction of the Sport, Ford is hoping that it will not only be able to go head-to-head with its traditional competitors like the Toyota Camry or the Honda Accord, but also German performance sedans like the BMW 535i, Audi A6 3.0T and Mercedes-Benz E400.

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“It’s not just Fusion buyers who want something hotter,” said Wade Jackson, Ford Fusion marketing manager in a news release about the new Fusion. “Owners of other midsize sedans, along with our own dealers, ask repeatedly.”

Under the hood, the Ford Fusion Sport has a 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 that puts out 325 horsepower and has 380 pound-feet of torque. That option will net drivers about 17 mpg in the city, 26 on the highway or 20 combined, Ford’s website indicated.

In comparison, the Audi A6’s base V-6 model has 333 hp and 325 lb-ft of torque, the BMW 535i’s inline-six makes 300 hp and 300 lb-ft of torque, and the Mercedes-Benz E400’s V-6 makes 329 hp and 354 lb-ft of torque.

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Drivers looking for a more fuel-efficient option can choose the Fusion’s other trim levels that offer engines like the plug-in hybrid, which will get about 43 mpg in the city, 41 on the highway or 42 combined with using the gas and electric system, or 104 in the city, 91 on the highway or 97 combined with just using the electric system to run the car.

Besides the 2.7-liter V6 engine, other standard features on the Sport include an all-wheel drive system, a rear-deck spoiler and 19-inch tarnished dark wheels. The Audi, BMW and Mercedes mentioned above all have all-wheel drive optional, but not standard.

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Ford also offers a Sport Driver Assist and Upgrade packages that consumers can add for an additional cost.

The Sport Driver Assist package includes features like rain-sensing wipers, a lane detection system, blind spot assistance and other safety and convenience features at a price of $1,625.

The Sport Upgrade package includes features like reverse sensing, 911 assist, a higher-end audio system, navigation system and other features at an additional cost of about $2,000.

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When Ford introduced other Sport versions of its models sales increased. Ford saw sales rise to 103 percent for the Explorer Sport from 2013 to 2015, while the regular Explorer increased sales to 24 percent, Ford indicated. Its Edge model increased by 62 percent over that same time period for its sport model with sales for its regular Edge model remaining flat.

Check out this TFLcar video of the Platinum version of the 2017 Ford Fusion: