Mark Your Calendar - the Summer of Lost Sedans Approaches

Steph Willems
by Steph Willems

Here at TTAC World Headquarters, talk of sedans is never far away. While automakers have decided the three-box bodystyle is an afterthought, and while consumers aren’t helping by choosing cargo capacity over tradition, we still lust after a nice trunk.

Over at the Blue Oval, this summer’s shaping up to be a grim one for workers whose hearts bleed at the thought of such a noble bodystyle fading from the company’s lineup. July in particular will be painful for longstanding Ford employees who harbor fond memories of the Maverick, Granada, and Contour. Also: the Fairlane, Custom, LTD, Galaxie, Crown Victoria, Escort, Taurus, Fiesta, Focus, Falcon, Fairmont, Tempo, and Five Hundred.

As reported by Ford Authority, the midsize Fusion sedan, long marked for death, will cease production in Mexico that month. Sources claim the last police-spec Fusion to leave Hermosillo will roll off the assembly line on July 5th, followed by the last civilian Fusion on July 21st.

Joining the model on its date with death is the Lincoln MKZ, with which it shares a platform. Sources tell Ford Authority those dates could be pushed back a bit in order to fill existing orders kept from production by the coronavirus lockdown. Orders closed on February 28th.

It was well known that the Fusion and MKZ would ride out the end of the year in a coffin, but the unconfirmed discontinuation dates lend a sense of finality to the whole affair. Preceding the Fusion/MKZ’s journey into the crypt was the Fiesta, Focus, and Taurus. In a mighty swoop, Ford CEO Jim Hackett’s axe turned the company into a truck and SUV company, with the sole exception of the Mustang (which now has an SUV family member). Meanwhile, the slow-selling, Michigan-built Lincoln Continental is not expected to live past the 2021 model year.

Sedans will soon be extinct, at least in Dearborn.

In the Fusion’s wake, Hermosillo will see the arrival of Ford’s Bronco Sport — a compact crossover based on the Escape that mimics the body-on-frame Bronco due for a reveal sometime this year. Production of that vehicle is expected to commence in early September.

While the news is grim for passenger car lovers, all is not lost. Ford is still expected to return the Fusion name to the lineup in the foreseeable future, slapping the name on a raised wagon seen in spy photos. The exact nature of that vehicle, as well as its arrival date, remains hazy.

[Images: Ford]

Steph Willems
Steph Willems

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  • Ryannosaurus Ryannosaurus on May 22, 2020

    Another disappointing article from Tim I must admit it bothers me to hear more doom and gloom when I visit TTAC hoping to escape all of the preaching. “save for a few morons who think the virus is no big deal”, was this really necessary? I saw the Daily Show episode where they do an exposition on the open up protesters calling them morons in their natural habitat. Could it be that different people have different risk tolerances? I know of people that do not fly (to risky). There are people that will not travel in a car that is not 5 star rated. Should we appease them and mandate that everyone drive F-250s? Think of the children! What about you Tim? What is your risk level? I picture you sitting there in your apartment waiting for the all clear siren so you know when it is 100% safe to venture out. Never going to happen. Covid19 will be replaced with Covid20 or some other nasty bug. I wish you and all of the many others that have your similar opinion well. And I do not think you are morons, just have a different risk tolerance than myself. Back on the topic of NASCAR reopening, here is an interesting article about the NFL and how/why they are going to continue operating. https://fee.org/articles/nfl-signals-2020-season-will-happen-despite-covid-19-risks-heres-why/

  • Johnster Johnster on May 23, 2020

    In addition to Ford bringing in a raised all-wheel drive version of the Ford Fusion/Mondeo wagon, there was talk about Ford importing a raised all-wheel drive version of the Ford Focus 4-door hatchback from China. The car closely resembled the Subaru Crosstrek. It was killed because of import taxes on goods from China, but I think there's still a chance that it could be brought in, possibly built in another country other than China. Still, it's sad how American manufacturers have given up on the market for affordable conventional automobiles. The Japanese and South Koreans are poised to clean up.

  • CanadaCraig VOTE NO VW!
  • Joe This is called a man in the middle attack and has been around for years. You can fall for this in a Starbucks as easily as when you’re charging your car. Nothing new here…
  • AZFelix Hilux technical, preferably with a swivel mount.
  • ToolGuy This is the kind of thing you get when you give people faster internet.
  • ToolGuy North America is already the greatest country on the planet, and I have learned to be careful about what I wish for in terms of making changes. I mean, if Greenland wants to buy JDM vehicles, isn't that for the Danes to decide?
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