Photo: Ford
Sold as the Mondeo in Europe and Australia, the Ford Fusion has seen better days. In its second generation since 2012, the mid-size sedan was facelifted in 2016, but an all-new generation is not in the pipeline for the 2020 model year.
Codenamed CD542N, the 2020 Ford Fusion has been cancelled according to The Detroit News. The publication cites a “letter sent to suppliers for the new Fusion program,” highlighting that the nameplate will live on despite the canceled redesign. What is the reason for this change of heart?
“Ford saw Fusion sales drop 22 percent through November following an 11 percent decline for the year in 2016,” reports The Detroit News. “But the vehicle was still Ford’s best-selling car in the U.S. last year, and some say it won’t make sense for Ford to exit the sedan market completely.”
It’s tough to justify the Fusion as the Blue Oval can’t keep up with demand for the F-150, and more so if you bear in mind that crossovers and SUVs are going stronger than ever. The U.S.-spec Ranger, which is coming by year’s end, is another high-volume entry in the automaker’s lineup.
This bit of unfortunate news comes right after Ford confirmed that Fusion and Mondeo production wouldn’t move to China. The narrative starts with the Focus Mk4, whose sedan body style will be imported to the United States from the People’s Republic of China from the second half of 2019.
Whatever the Ford Motor Company plans to do with the Fusion, the truth of the matter is that time is of the essence. Toyota and Honda overhauled the Camry and Accord from the ground up, and as it’s often the case with all-new vehicles, both models are superior to the Fusion in most aspects.
In the worst case scenario, could the Lincoln MKZ go the way of the dodo along with the Fusion and Mondeo? And if they do, could a mid-size crossover – a different one from the Edge - do the Blue Oval justice?
“Ford saw Fusion sales drop 22 percent through November following an 11 percent decline for the year in 2016,” reports The Detroit News. “But the vehicle was still Ford’s best-selling car in the U.S. last year, and some say it won’t make sense for Ford to exit the sedan market completely.”
It’s tough to justify the Fusion as the Blue Oval can’t keep up with demand for the F-150, and more so if you bear in mind that crossovers and SUVs are going stronger than ever. The U.S.-spec Ranger, which is coming by year’s end, is another high-volume entry in the automaker’s lineup.
This bit of unfortunate news comes right after Ford confirmed that Fusion and Mondeo production wouldn’t move to China. The narrative starts with the Focus Mk4, whose sedan body style will be imported to the United States from the People’s Republic of China from the second half of 2019.
Whatever the Ford Motor Company plans to do with the Fusion, the truth of the matter is that time is of the essence. Toyota and Honda overhauled the Camry and Accord from the ground up, and as it’s often the case with all-new vehicles, both models are superior to the Fusion in most aspects.
In the worst case scenario, could the Lincoln MKZ go the way of the dodo along with the Fusion and Mondeo? And if they do, could a mid-size crossover – a different one from the Edge - do the Blue Oval justice?
Google News