Report: Ford to End Fusion Production in North America

Ford will stop building the Fusion sedan in North America at the end of the decade, according to a report from Automotive News. Citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter, the report claims Ford has told suppliers it will not build the Fusion at its current home plant in Hermosillo, Mexico when it enters its third generation.

The report brings up the question of whether Ford will stop selling the Fusion in the U.S. or simply build it at another global plant. Ford will also reportedly stop building the Mondeo, Europe’s version of the Fusion, at a factory in Valencia, Spain. We’re unsure what to make of the reports, given the automaker expressed the importance of the Fusion to its lineup in a recent statement, also saying it won’t export the next-gen model from China to North America and Europe.

“We have no plans to export the next-generation Fusion/Mondeo from China to North America and Europe,” Ford said in an emailed statement to Motor Trend. “Fusion/Mondeo are an important part of the Ford car lineup. We will have more to share about the next-generation Fusion/Mondeo at a later date.”

A few months ago, Ford said it would offer fewer car nameplates in the future. The company is also reallocating $7 billion from cars to trucks and SUVs including the upcoming Ranger. If Ford chose to nix the Fusion from its North American lineup, it would become the highest-volume car to go out of production in the region as a result of the crossover craze.

According to one source cited by AN, Ford will produce the third-generation Fusion starting in 2020. It will be a 2021 model year vehicle. Fusion sales are down 22 percent for the first 11 months of this year in the U.S.

Recently, it was reported that Ford no longer plans to build an electric SUV at its Flat Rock plant in Michigan. Production of that model has been moved to Ford’s Cuautitlan Stamping and Assembly Plant in Mexico, reports say.

Source: Automotive News (Subscription required)