Ford has said that the Fusion sedan is going away. But a new report says that the name might be staying. And that it might find itself on the back of a new crossover wagon.
The move to drop sedans for sport utilities that Ford announced earlier this year was a bold one. But Ford's existing nameplates are still valuable for their recognizability, even if the sales of the vehicles wearing them have fallen. That means keeping them around could make sense.
Ford spokesman Mike Levine talked with Bloomberg about the plan. While he didn't quite confirm what will happen to the Fusion name, his statement comes very close. "We’ll likely continue to use the name because of its awareness, positive imagery and value with consumers," Levine said.
So where will the badge find itself? A renaming of the Escape or Explorer seems unlikely, so the probable spot is a new crossover. Bloomberg cited two sources "who asked not to be identified revealing future product plans." They said that the Fusion name would be replaced with a high-roof hatchback built on the underpinnings of the Fusion sedan.
Ford has already revealed similar plans for the Focus, which will continue (albeit not in Canada) as the lifted wagon Focus Active. The Focus Active is a Focus that's received a treatment similar to Subaru's Crosstrek: taller height, raised suspension, and plastic cladding.
A similar treatment on the Fusion would result in a vehicle much like Subaru's Outback. A midsize wagon that's close enough to a crossover to satisfy that segment's buyers. The original announcement to cancel sedans hinted at the wagon-crossover hybrid. That announcement said that Ford would be "exploring new 'white space' vehicle silhouettes that combine the best attributes of cars and utilities, such as higher ride height, space and versatility."
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