Report: Ford Fusion Name Will Live on as Wagon-Like Crossover

Ford will discontinue the Fusion sedan early next decade, but once that car is gone, it’s quite likely the name will live on in a new vehicle. According to Bloomberg, Ford wants to reuse the Fusion name on a tall wagon-like crossover that will compete with the Subaru Outback.

Ford spokesman Mike Levine told Bloomberg the automaker will likely continue to use the Fusion name in the future. But where? Two unnamed sources who asked not to be identified told Bloomberg that the name will be used on a high-roofed hatchback built on the same mechanical underpinnings as the Fusion sedan.

In April, Ford announced it would cut sedans in the U.S. to focus on trucks and SUVs. Its lineup of traditional cars will consist of only the Mustang and the Focus Active, which is a slightly raised hatch. Adding a lifted wagon could expand the breadth of Ford’s lineup while at the same time hold onto the heritage of the Fusion name. In Europe, the Fusion’s counterpart, the Ford Mondeo, is offered as a wagon.

“They spent hundreds of millions of dollars for brand equity in that Fusion name—not $10 million or $20 million—but hundreds of millions,” Rhett Ricart, one of Ford’s top dealers, told Bloomberg. “The smart thing is to play on that brand equity.”

Ford updated the Fusion sedan for the 2019 model year. It gains new exterior styling and wheel designs as well as a redesigned battery pack for the plug-in Energi model. The current Fusion will continue production in Hermosillo, Mexico, for a few years before Ford retools the plant for another product.

Source: Bloomberg

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