Ford Gets It: Not Everyone Loves Chrome

Edward Niedermeyer
by Edward Niedermeyer

Read through a few reviews of the Ford Fusion, and you’ll notice that few are able to avoid reference to the midsized sedan’s polarizing chrome grille. Though different reviewers compare the gaudy grille to different brand-name razors, the consensus seems to be that it’s more than a little over the top. Certainly no other car in the Camccord class lays on the plastichrome quite so thick, and it’s hardly the only Ford with class-leading amounts of cheesy bling. And honestly, until I saw the recent Ford ad shown above, I had no idea the Fusion could even be purchased with a body-color grille. The Blue Oval’s marketing forces are only just beginning to feature Fusions with the subtler grille in its advertising, and the difference is instantly noticeable. And with a little research, you’ll find that, having earned a special spot in the Pantheon of Detroit chrome abuse, Ford appears to be moving towards offering chrome-free fascias on more of its vehicles.

Ford’s US-market move away from the “any grille, as long as it’s chrome” mentality started with the Coupe version of the Focus, which made a chrome-free grille standard for the 2009 model year. For 2010, the Fusion got the Monochrome Appearance Package, an $895 option that vastly improves the car’s appearance, bringing it in line with the standards of its segment.

Edward Niedermeyer
Edward Niedermeyer

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  • Bill Wade Bill Wade on Apr 27, 2010

    N Number April 27th, 2010 at 12:57 pm Any chance they’ll tone down the huge [brackets] grille on the Super Duty that they just rolled out? That truck was respectable looking when first rolled out in 1998, but each new grille update gets worse and worse. ______________________________________________________________________________ It's not as bad as what they did to the E series vans.

  • Accs Accs on May 05, 2010

    I think this is great... that Ford wants to charge THOSE who want to BUY Ford... a $895 charge to make the front clip match the rest of the car... Now if only the mirrors, and door handles can also match. NOW.. If Ford could start shooting some non-condescending advertisements. The woman obviously doesnt know or read car magazines.. so its of no use for her to know about 2010 Motor Trend car of the Year. It technically.. means nothing to me.. and I used to spend 100bux a month on CAR MAGS. Which is only backed up by her purchase of a CAMRY. Navigation and bluetooth are both extras.. both of which I could definitely do without. I can buy a cheaper unit at Target and keep a standard "smart" phone for bluetooth handsfree conversing. P.S. Its not CHROME. Its plastic.. sprayed with a color that mimics the Chrome look / aesthetic. Look for the Malibu LTZ / Aura XR interior for more of that winning material fit, sound and finish.

  • William Penney William Penney on Dec 30, 2010

    Chrome or not the grille still looks ugly, it looks more like rear window louvers that were put in the wrong place. That and about every Ford I see now looks like a Toyota, no amount of fake chrome will fix that.

  • Autogrillepros Autogrillepros on Dec 07, 2015

    Well, the fact is quite true that not all auto enthusiasts prefer the chrome grilles for embellishing their vehicles. As an alternative, the automotive market is flooded with a range of options including the mesh grilles, billet grilles and specialty grilles, each of which come with unique set of attributes, thereby redefining the charm of the vehicle.

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