Ford cancels redesign plans for Fusion, reports say

The Fusion is Ford Motor Co.’s mid-size five-passenger four-door sedan. In 2017, it has been reported that 209,623 units of this model have been sold. While this means that the Fusion is the brand’s best-selling model in the U.S., it may not be enough.

According to the Detroit News, Ford will not only be cancelling the redesign program of the Fusion but will also be reevaluating the midsize sedan’s future. Such actions are seen to be among the changes that CEO Jim Hackett, appointed in May 2017, will be bringing to the table.

The news of the cancellation of the North American redesign program of the 2020 Fusion, dubbed as the CD542N, was revealed by the Detroit News to come from a letter sent to a supplier back in November. Although this does not mean that Ford will be surely terminating the Fusion badge, it does put in limbo any other plans for the segment.

Citing a source knowledgeable on the matter, Detroit News said that the Fusion, as well as the Mondeo, will continue to remain with the brand’s portfolio for around four years. Analysts agree that cancelling the redesign program could mean that the focus would be on seeing how the Fusion might appear in the future instead of removing it completely.

Such changes, or even cancellations, on redesign plans are not uncommon in the auto industry. Generally it can mean that the company or the brand does not have the proper product or product design needed to meet the demand. This was revealed, Detroit News related, by another source familiar with the plans at Ford.

Ford spokesperson Mike Levine refused to comment on the disclosed supplier letter or even the talk about any plans regarding the Fusion. Levine though did reveal in a statement that the Fusion will continue to play a significant role in the brand’s lineup for many years to come and customers can expect new and fresh features to be introduced. He added that the brand will be able to share more news in the future.

It should be noted that it was back in December 2017 when CEO Hackett himself said that while customers want vehicles to have a “bigger” profile, the main issue with such models is that fuel efficiency has always been poor. He added that the automotive industry in general has undergone a shift and the brand is already beginning to crack that particular code. He continued by saying that if one can remove the difference due to fuel, the pressure on what type of portfolio is needed will be lessened.

In the same letter obtained by Detroit News, it was also disclosed that Ford will be moving forward with its plans in China, the same one cancelled in North America.