Ford announced the elimination of its Fusion model back in April, but now it appears the company has decided to retain the name. According to a new Bloomberg report, Ford plans on producing a sport wagon carrying the Fusion name once the sedan disappears, early next decade.
Bloomberg cites two anonymous sources who say the new model will be a high-roofed hatchback model that will compete directly with Subaru’s Outback model, and feature largely the same mechanical setup as the current Fusion.
Ford, for its part, confirms that the Fusion is likely to carry on, but is not going into detail about what form the new model might take. The automaker is faced with the daunting task of keeping its clients loyal as they shift from sedans to SUVs. Will retaining the Fusion name, which does benefit from strong recognition and a generally positive reputation among consumers, help Ford convince its buyers to remain “in-house”. Time will tell…
Interesting fact, as reported by Bloomberg: up until 2016, sales of the Fusion were roughly double those of the Outback in the United States, but since then the gap has narrowed sharply, and the Subaru wagon may actually overtake the Ford sedan this year.
