Getting Into the Last of the Ford Fusion Sports Will Cost You

We’ll miss it when its gone. The Ford Fusion Sport debuted as a pleasant throwback to an era of attainable muscle, just as the passenger car death plunge got underway in earnest. By taking a sensible family sedan, stuffing it with the largest mill its engine bay could handle, sending a propshaft to the rear wheels, and upgrading the sedan’s wheels and suspension, Ford crafted a blistering bargain that easily handles the daily duties of modestly-sized families. It’s an unlikely blast.

But soon it’ll be dead and you can have an Edge ST instead.

As all Fusions prepare for the afterlife, Ford’s new trim and content strategy (less of the former, more of the latter) means prices are on the upswing for 2019. The greatest hike in the Fusion lineup is reserved for the Sport.

According to an order guide obtained by CarsDirect, the base Fusion’s upgraded kit means it leaves the dealer for $23,735 after delivery — a $645 climb from the 2018 S trim. As we told you earlier this year, that price includes greater standard safety content in the form of Ford’s Co-Pilot 360 suite of driver assist features. Nothing’s free in this world.

Moving up the trim ladder, not surprisingly, brings fatter window stickers. The volume SE trim grows by $650, coming in at $25,015 after delivery. Besides the new tech, SE buyers receive a standard 1.5-liter turbo four instead of the former 2.5-liter, so it’s hardly a slap in the face. Plush Titanium models rings in at $35,235, or $3,870 more than the current model.

For 2019, which could easily be the Fusion Sport’s final model year (the lineup’s execution date remains hazy), the burliest of Ford’s midsizers retails for $6,190 extra. It’s now a member of the over 40(k) club.

There’s changes afoot for the Hybrid and Energi plug-in models, too, though the extra two grand you’ll spend getting into the lesser of the green sedans comes from the fact Ford axed the base hybrid trim. There’s similar price climb for the Energi, which now ekes out a bit more range from its battery.

It’s hard to say whether we’ll see bidding wars erupt in the wake of the 325 hp Fusion Sport’s death. At its core, it remains a Fusion sedan with a dated interior. But there’s no denying the appeal of a domestic performance sedan that flies under the radar while putting on zero airs.

[Images: Ford Motor Company]