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Ford: Fusion production will continue to ‘at least’ 2021

Twin-turbo Sport variant dropped from 2020 line-up, with wider range to live on for a little while longer despite the company's SUV and ute push.


Ford Motor Company has committed to building its Fusion sedan for at least another 18 months, confirming with outlets in the US that the nameplate will stay in production until at least 2021.

As reported by industry journal Automotive News, the Blue Oval has detailed the 2020 model-year Fusion line-up, which includes the SE, SEL and Titanium trim levels – though the 243kW twin-turbo Sport variant has been dropped.

"Our goal in the final production year is to further simplify the offering and focus on maximising the more popular SE, SEL, and Titanium models," a spokesperson said in a statement.

Previously, the company indicated the Fusion would be discontinued in the US from 2020.

It appears the Fusion will be the last remaining passenger car in Ford's US line-up (discounting the Mustang sports car), now that the Fiesta, Focus and Taurus have been dropped from the range.

The Blue Oval announced in April 2018 it would kill its passenger car range to focus on SUVs and pickup trucks, though the Mustang will live on.

Ford's new Focus Active crossover was also meant to form part of the US line-up from 2020, though issues arising from the Trump administration's tariff war with China meant the company was forced to kill its plans to import the hatchback-come-crossover from the Middle Kingdom.

Back to the Fusion, sales in the US have slumped to 173,600 in 2018, a decline of 17.0%. While that still sounds like a big number, that's a far cry from the 300,000 US sales the nameplate was posting in 2014 and 2015.


Australia

While we don't get the Fusion in Australia, Ford's local arm does sell the related Mondeo hatch and wagon which is also under a cloud of uncertainty given its future in Europe (where we source it from) isn't guaranteed.

However, the company recently revealed a facelifted version (above), due in Australia during the third quarter of 2019, and the company has gone on record to say the Mondeo will be in production for the "foreseeable future".

In saying that, neither Ford of Europe or Ford Australia has been able to indicate the long-term future of the Mondeo nameplate, not helped by the fact it competes in a dying segment in the wake of the SUV boom.

Speaking with CarAdvice, Ford's local communications manager, Damion Smy, said: "We have no additional news on Mondeo, which remains an important part of our line-up here in Australia".

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