The FINANCIAL — Since its 2013 model year redesign, the widely acclaimed Ford Fusion has not only brought sexy back to the midsize sedan segment, it’s also brought back sales.
2015 marks 10 years since launch of Ford’s then all-new midsize sedan, and three years since Fusion’s radical redesign that reset expectations for aggressive styling in a historically staid segment of family vehicles, according to Ford.
Long dominated by Japanese offerings, Ford Fusion has been chipping away at sales and market share in the midsize sedan segment – largely on the strength of its styling.
In 2012, the last model year for the first-generation model, Ford sold 241,263 Fusions compared with Honda’s 331,872 Accords. Through June 2015, that gap closed considerably – Ford selling 178,263 Fusions to Honda’s 190,242 Accords.
“Fusion is achieving growth in all the right places, especially in California, the largest midsize sedan market in the country, followed by Texas,” said Erich Merkle, Ford sales analyst. “Since its introduction, Fusion – in style-conscious California – has grown at almost six times the rate of the overall segment.”
Fusion sales almost tripled in California since launch, while the midsize sedan segment grew 29 percent.
Texas is the next largest contributor to Fusion sales growth. There, the car’s sales have increased at twice the rate of the overall segment – representing 14 percent of Fusion retail sales growth in the United States based on registration data.
In its short life, Fusion has accumulated multiple awards, including Motor Trend 2010 Car of the Year, J.D. Power and Associates Most Dependable Midsize Car and Best Car for the Money in the 2012 U.S. News and World Report, among many others.
