When an automaker cancels a redesign of a model and makes it clear that a new generation won’t be built, that typically means the vehicle is going to be gone from the market once the end if the generation arrives. This has been the case for many models over the history of the automotive market and its usually what happens when sales have been slow and the vehicle has become more of a burden than it’s worth financially for the brand which makes it one that will find itself on the chopping block.
What happens when a vehicle is one of the best-selling in the brand but yet it’s not reaching the sales numbers that are expected? This is the dilemma that currently faces the Ford team with the Ford Fusion. As the leading car in the stable of Ford models, the Fusion is due to be redesigned for a new generation for the 2020 model year, but it hasn’t been selling at the pace it once was, which means it might not be able to have the redesign that’s scheduled. Without the redesign, the Fusion could be short for this world, which seems like it would be counterproductive.
Are We Going to See the End?
Even though the Ford team has published statements that have communicated to suppliers that the redesign isn’t going to take place for the Fusion, the expectation is for the current model of the Fusion to survive for a few more years as Ford figures out what they need to do in order to either redesign or replace this model. It’s extremely difficult to support deleting a model that has been a huge part of the brand for so long, and the way the Ford brand will either save the Fusion or make it practical is to withdraw some of the investment in the vehicle in regards to advertising.
How did the Ford Fusion perform for 2017? This car saw a sales total that fell 21.1 percent for the year to a total sales of 209,623 models in the US for the year. When it comes to sedan models that were sold last year, and you include the Lincoln brand in the mix, Ford sold a total of 595,390 cars last year which is a 14.2 percent decline compared to 2016 while the sales in the SUV and truck segments reached well over 1.99 million with the F-150 and the Expedition being strong performers.
We have no idea what the Ford Fusion could look like if it makes its way to the redesign in 2020. This model will continue to be sold and it will continue around the world as the Mondeo that takes this place in the market for the global market. The production of this car is being moved to China, which might also contribute to the delay of the redesign so that the team doesn’t have to also redesign the tooling for this car as its being built in China for the first time starting in 2020.
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