Ford killed off the Fusion Sport this week.
As Ford aims to kill off nearly its entire passenger car lineup, we’ve always known the Fusion was living on borrowed time. Now, a Ford spokesperson clarified with Automotive News that the car actually has more time than we thought. Ford will continue building its midsize sedan beyond 2020 and into 2021.
If you were looking for the V6-powered Sport model, however, Ford will ax that next year. “Our goal in the final production year is to further simplify the offering and focus on maximizing the more popular SE, SEL and Titanium models,” Ford released in a recent statement.
When Ford originally released the new Fusion back in 2012, it managed to beat Toyota and Honda to the number one spot in sedan sales. Since then, though, sales have dropped off as popularity waned. In 2018, Ford moved just over 173,000 examples.
Still, 173,000 units is not a small number, and it appears Ford is not willing to let go of the Fusion just yet. The Fusion Sport, on the other hand, was the latest Fusion to come along. It was launched in 2016 as Ford’s attempt to spark life back into its sedans. Its 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 churns out 325 horsepower and 380 lb-ft of torque, and it has all-wheel drive. It’s a quick car, but it’s also expensive. It starts off at just over $41,000.