RUMOR: Although Ford May Be Killing Stagnant Sedans, The Fusion Name Will Live On...

Although a Ford Outback is a product that would sell, I just don't see it having the volume of the Fusion. With the Escape, Edge, and Explorer covering the family car range, what would give Ford the idea that another station wagon is the answer? Build it? Sure. Will it sell? It will. But it will be a niche vehicle.

Over 200,000 Units/year is hardly what I would call slow selling. Perhaps in recent years it has dropped off, but when Ford made the announcement it was a death knell for sales of the Fusion, which even being a bit long in tooth is still a pretty damn good car.

Agreed.

I love the current-gen Fusion.

Frankly - THe Fusion is the ONE car I would have kept. After all - its platform is the basis for the Lincoln cars as well - so ADDING a raised Wagon to the portfolio would make more sense to me.

However - all this depends on FORD's development money. Traditionally it is GM that has developed lots of new Platforms - FORD always lagged behind. THe Fist Gen Fusion was on a Mazda platform. ANd don't forget the Volvo Platform that was under and IS under quite a few Fords too.

The Volvo platform is NOT under quite a few Fords anymore. The CD4/5 platform underpins most mid-sized Fords (Fusion, Edge, MKZ, Nautilus, Continental). The MKS and MKT are done. Once the Explorer is replaced--very soon--the fleet queen Taurus and California-special Flex will be gone too. Ford is already drawing down Interceptor versions and is pushing early orders of the CD6 Interceptor and the Fusion cop car to fleets.

Converting the Fusion to wagon/crossover makes cents if Ford can make more money even with lower volume. Plus it fills a void in Ford products to challenge Subaru.

Just like the Bronco will challenge Jeep and Ranger will challenge Tacoma n Colorado midsize trucks.

These are all new growth markets for Ford

There is only growth if the new products replace the volume of the Fusion and then surpass it. Huge gamble.

Given that the Fusion "Outback" will be a CD4 vehicle like the current Fusion, Ford management pulled a Sergio and that tanked the sales of a good car.

To say "The Fusion is dead." and then say "The Fusion will live on." makes it seem like their plans are helter skelter.

Given that the new car will be the same under the skin as the current one, they should have said nothing and then done a "taa taa" surprise.

Is the sedan dying? Yes. But the market is far from dead and will probably never be. Most families are two-vehicle families and a sedan is typically in the driveway alongside an SUV. The Fusion is still selling a relatively healthy 15K units per month. Yes, below its normal 20K+ units but not sure I'd consider that "slow selling", especially considering the current car is 5 years old and hasn't really changed much in that 5 years. The current car is handsome and pretty good. I've no doubt if Ford gave it a fresh redesign and improved an already-good product, its sales could still maintain 20K per month.

The CD4 Fusion is a reskinning of the EUCD Mondeo making the base platform 12 years old as we speak. With the new Fusion Outback to be on CD4 suggests that Ford stopped development of a new D segment FWD architecture and decided to keep on keeping on with the EUCD-era bones and hope for the best.