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Ford Fusion Production Stopping This July, Wagon-Crossover Successor Incoming

Called Mondeo in the Old Continent, the Fusion has entered production in America in August 2005 for the 2006 model year. The second generation – launched in 2012 for 2013 – will bid us farewell in July for a pretty obvious reason.
Ford Fusion V6 Sport 23 photos
Photo: Ford
2017 Ford Fusion Sport2017 Ford Fusion Sport2017 Ford Fusion Sport2017 Ford Fusion Sport2017 Ford Fusion Sport2017 Ford Fusion Sport2017 Ford Fusion Sport2017 Ford Fusion Sport2017 Ford Fusion Sport2022 Ford Mondeo Active (codenamed CD542, also called Fusion Active)2022 Ford Mondeo Active (codenamed CD542, also called Fusion Active)2022 Ford Mondeo Active (codenamed CD542, also called Fusion Active)2022 Ford Mondeo Active (codenamed CD542, also called Fusion Active)2022 Ford Mondeo Active (codenamed CD542, also called Fusion Active)2022 Ford Mondeo Active (codenamed CD542, also called Fusion Active)2022 Ford Mondeo Active (codenamed CD542, also called Fusion Active)2022 Ford Mondeo Active (codenamed CD542, also called Fusion Active)2022 Ford Mondeo Active (codenamed CD542, also called Fusion Active)2022 Ford Mondeo Active (codenamed CD542, also called Fusion Active)2022 Ford Mondeo Active (codenamed CD542, also called Fusion Active)2022 Ford Mondeo Active (codenamed CD542, also called Fusion Active)2022 Ford Mondeo Active (codenamed CD542, also called Fusion Active)
I hate to be the one who says it, but sedans don’t sell too well in the United States these days. The Fusion, for example, dropped from 177,600 units in 2018 to 166,045 last year. At its height in 2014, the Ford Motor Company was selling 306,860 examples of the breed in the U.S. of God Bless America.

Ford Authority has learned that July 21st will be the last day for the Fusion at the Hermosillo plant in Mexico. Following its departure, only the Mustang would remain as the automaker’s sole passenger car in the United States.

One by one, Ford axed the Fiesta subcompact, Focus compact, and Taurus full-size sedan because the demand is shifting towards crossovers, SUVs, and trucks for many years now. The Lincoln MKZ mid-size sedan is also going away, and the luxury brand doesn’t have a replacement in the offing.

Ford does, though. Enter the Fusion Active or whatever the Subaru Outback-like crossover wagon will be called. Internally known under the codename CD542, the longroof with adequately high ground clearance for a unibody design is reportedly due in 2021 for the 2022 model year. Spied hiding under Focus Turnier body panels on what we believe to be a stretched version of the C2 platform, the newcomer could feature... wait for it... rear leaf springs.

If it does show up on the C2 of the Escape and Bronco Sport, then it’s obvious that Ford will treat the Fusion Active to three- and four-cylinder EcoBoost engines as well as an eight-speed automatic transmission. It remains to be seen if Escape-based hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains will be offered.

The Mondeo is also likely to be replaced by the Mondeo Active as sedans struggle to make ends meet in the EU. Regarding the rear leaf springs mentioned beforehand, their advantage over coil springs is the packaging. More space for the battery pack is the name of the game, and don’t forget that even the Volvo XC90 features polyurethane composite leaf springs.
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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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