The Ford Fusion has been kicking in its present form since the 2013 model year, and according to a new report, it won't be changing up any time soon.
Ford has canceled a planned 2020 redesign of its midsize Fusion sedan, The Detroit News reports, citing a confidential letter to suppliers that the outlet obtained. It does not mean that the Fusion is gone, but rather, it could signal a shift in the company's priorities.
I was about to write "Good night, sweet prince," but nope. Not yet.
Jon Wong/RoadshowFor what it's worth, Ford spokesman Mike Levine did not comment on the letter itself, but he did provide a statement about the Fusion in general: "Fusion remains an important part of the Ford lineup for years to come with even more new fresh features on the way. We will have more news to share in the future."
Even though it's a bit on the aged side, the Fusion still sells well enough. In 2017, Ford averaged about 17,000 sales per month -- a bit lower than in years past, but still strong enough to make it Ford's best-selling car in the US. That said, the entire midsize sedan segment has had a hard time thriving in the face of shifting consumer demand, which is moving toward crossovers of a similar size.
In all likelihood, that's the driving force behind Ford's reported decision to axe the planned Fusion redesign. But unless Ford just plans to milk the current model for all it's worth, it'll have to do something with the Fusion -- recent redesigns from Toyota and Honda have added some life back to the midsize sedan segment.
According to that confidential letter, if you want an idea of what Ford had planned for the 2020 Fusion, you should look to China -- the automaker will allegedly use that market to follow through with the plans it scrapped here in the US.
