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People related to the manufacturer reveal plans for the model to become a cross; While the Fusion Ford will disappear in history as the sedan everyone knows with most cars of the mark ), we expect that the name survive as a vehicle that is under development to challenge the famous Subaru Outback, say people familiar with the plans of the American manufacturer.
The name of the Fusion is likely to stay alive when the sedan is out of line early in the next decade, according to a spokeswoman. It will be replaced in stores by a high roof model built on the same platform, two people who asked not to be identified but who revealed future plans for Ford products.
After the pressure from dealers, Ford seemed receptive to the idea of keeping the name of the Fusion as a crossover after the retirement of the sedan in 2021 – it is somewhat similar to what it does with Focus, who will continue to live in the United States.
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Why is the idea good?
Ford shocked the industry – and many of its dealers – when it announced in April its intention to abandon the narrowing of the pbadenger car market and invest only in the SUVs, crossovers and vans, which give more profit. At the beginning of the next decade, only the Mustang will remain in the lineage of Ford.
Concerned by the prospect of a customer defection by customers, dealers claimed the maintenance of the Fusion name, which four years ago was so strong that Ford had to add a second production line to the saloon [19659003] Fusion's US sales, which began shipping in 2005, peaked in 2014 at 306,860 units. In 2017, annual sales fell 32% to 209,623 units, reflecting the migration of Americans from cars to pickup trucks.
Meanwhile, the Subaru Outback – which is currently the best-selling mid-size crossover in the US, in the first half of 2018 – had a record 188,886 units in 2017, a 36% increase over 2014 (when the model was still a wagon).
"They spent hundreds of millions of dollars worth of brand name Fusion, not $ 10 million or $ 20 million, but hundreds of millions," said Rhett Ricart, a leading distributor of Ford, whose showroom is near Columbus, Ohio. "The smartest thing to do is play with customer loyalty."
Mike Levine, Ford's director of communications, refused to speculate on the future of Fusion, while confirming that "we will probably continue to use the name because of"
Ford did not not sold a van or anything like that in the United States since the 2009 Taurus X production ended, although some badysts see the Flex as a mix between a van and a minivan. : In Europe, Fusion is sold under the name of Mondeo in the current generation and has a turkey setup, and the Fusion name itself has been used on the old continent as a fiesta-prize minivan that has survived between 2005 and 2012. Some elements of this European fusion, in fact, gave rise to our first Ford EcoSport.)
How to survive
The reinvention planned for Fusion made in Mexico is similar to what the Ford made with the Focus – the Focus Active crossover will begin to be manufactured next year in China.
Ford has to find a way to keep his sedan buyers. A study by Kelley Blue Book Consulting revealed that less than half of Ford Fusion owners are loyal to the brand.
The most popular crossover models that Fusion owners consider are the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4, KBB reports.
"Ford has trouble moving people from their cars to SUVs," said Michelle Krebs, Senior Analyst at Autotrader, a subsidiary of KBB.
Ford was vague about the future of Fusion, even though it revealed that it was shutting down Taurus production in March 2019, and the Fiesta in May 2019. The Fusion seems to be taking off. retirement in 2021, but the manufacturer seems to decide to keep the name on the list.
"We are not canceling the project," said John Murphy, Bank of America badyst Merrill Lynch, who publishes the "Car Wars" report on future plans for big brands.
A sports wagon or crossover similar to the Subaru Outback would put Ford in a competitive and rapidly growing market segment. With sales reaching 5.5% this year, the Outback is Subaru's best-selling model, deserving praise for its convenience, reliability and fuel economy.
Jim Farley, president of world markets at Ford, hinted that the vehicle was coming in April, when he explained that the company was leaving sedans to offer a "growing variety" of "body styles". He said that these new models "would give customers the benefits of utility without the penalty of fuel economy."
Ford dealers are happy not to suffer the loss of the name Fusion
"There is no doubt that we have built a domain by this name," said Jack Kain, a 89-year-old Ford dealer near Lexington, Ky. "We can not let that die."
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