The Big Three were late to the hybrid party, but they're finally getting into the swing of things with cars like the 38 39-mpg Ford Fusion Hybrid, a car that should make Toyota nervous and might just help Ford escape the apocalypse in Detroit.

The 2010 hybrid Fusion and Mercury Milan, its fraternal twin, build on Ford’s experience with the cute-ute Escape Hybrid but advance the technology by making it lighter, more powerful and more efficient. The two gas-electric mid-size sedans offer strong evidence that Ford is serious about building fuel-efficient vehicles, and they're one reason Ford's future isn't as bleak as those of General Motors and Chrysler.

Ford makes no bones about the two hybrids being aimed squarely at the Toyota Camry Hybrid. Considering they offer better all-electric performance and superior fuel economy, they might just take the Camry down.

The gas-electric drivetrain expands upon the technology Ford developed for the Escape and Mercury Mariner hybrids. The 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine produces 155 horsepower, up from 133 in the Escape Hybrid. An electric air conditioning compressor cut parasitic drag on the engine, improving fuel economy.

The electric drivetrain is almost entirely new. The nickel-metal hydride battery is still made by Sanyo, but the chemistry has been revised to provide 20 percent more power in a battery pack that weighs 23 percent less. The juice powers a 90 kW electric motor, an improvement over the 73-kW motor in the Escape. A continuously variable transmission moves the power from the drivetrain to the wheels.

What makes the system impressive is its ability to go as fast as 47 mph on electric power alone, a figure Ford claims is "about twice as fast as some competitors" without naming names. Under the right conditions, hybrid honcho Gil Portalatin boasts, you can tool around without burning a drop of gas. When you do step on the gas, Ford says the Fusion Hybrid delivers 38 39 mpg around town. That's 5 6 mpg better than the 2009 Camry Hybrid and just 3 mpg shy of the smaller, and less powerful, Honda Civic Hybrid. (Figures for the Camry and Civic are window-sticker data from the EPA.)

"It's astonishing what they've accomplished," Aaron Bragman, an industry analyst with IHS Global Insight, told us.

As for the styling, the Focus Hybrid is a sharp, if not terribly cool, looking sedan. The front end is slightly sportier, less boxy. An undertray improves aerodynamics. Thicker door glass, hood insulation and other mods make it quieter inside. A blind spot tracking system makes backing up less of a crapshoot, and ambient lighting lets you set the mood with seven color choices. And the dashboard features something Ford calls "EcoGuide," which monitors your driving style to help you improve efficiency. The better you are, the more leaves appear on graphical display. Drive like a moron and watch the leaves fall away.

No word yet on the price, but the hybrid will probably run $3,500 more than the conventional model. Look for it in showrooms next spring.

POST UPDATED 4:30 p.m. PST.

Photo: Jim Merithew/Wired.com.