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Customer LoginsFord launches 2017 Fusion Sport sales in US
Ford has begun sales of the 2017 Fusion Sport in the United States, taking a gamble that there are still some mainstream mid-size sedan buyers looking for a sporty, performance-orientated, yet practical, family sedan. Ford has also updated the Fusion range for the 2017 model year.
IHS Automotive Perspective
- Significance: Ford's latest Fusion update has gone on sale in the US, including the Fusion Sport model, bringing back a V6 and all-wheel-drive combination to the Fusion line-up.
- Implications: With the Fusion Sport, Ford is taking a gamble that there are still mainstream mid-size car buyers interested in practical performance, with a V6, calling it the only unmet need in the segment.
- Outlook: Ford has made an interesting decision in reviving a V6 and all-wheel-drive, sporty sedan entry, increasing Fusion model offerings and complexity in a very crowded segment that is highly sensitive to sales incentives. The updated Fusion is being launched as the US light-vehicle market is forecast to see some contraction, creating a more competitive environment, and it is in the latter years of its lifecycle. IHS Automotive forecasts the Fusion will see sales of about 294,000 units in 2017, a bit below the 300,000-plus record in 2015. The next-generation Fusion is due to be launched during 2019.
Ford's latest Fusion update has gone on sale in the United States, including the Fusion Sport, which brings back a V6 and all-wheel-drive combination to the Fusion line-up. The Fusion Sport's V6 engine offers 325 hp and with all-wheel-drive and chassis updates provides a more responsive performance than other models in the range.
Ford has revamped the Fusion for the 2017 model year, adding more technology and equipment, with minor exterior changes, to carry the model through the rest of its lifecycle. The model range continues to offer a 2.5-litre naturally aspirated 4-cylinder engine, 1.5-litre and 2.0-litre 4-cylinder EcoBoost options, as well as a hybrid and plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV), with improved output. The 2.0-litre can be ordered with an all-wheel-drive system and there is a new Platinum trim level. For the 2017 model year, however, a new powertrain has been added with the Fusion Sport. While registrations of V6-equipped mid-size sedans continue to decline − in part as a result of lack of availability, in part due to apparent lack of interest from consumers − Ford is doubling-down on a hearty Fusion Sport.
Sales of the Ford Fusion Sport began in August. Roughly concurrently with the sales launch, Ford made the Sport model available for test driving at a recent event attended by IHS Automotive. The Fusion Sport has as standard the company's all-wheel-drive system and a 2.7-litre V6 EcoBoost engine, derived from the Ford F-150's engine and also used in the Ford Edge Sport and the Lincoln MKX. This engine and platform sharing, Ford said, is part of what makes the programme possible from a business perspective. The Sport model also brings a continuously controlled damper (CCD) system to the car, similar to the one offered in Lincoln products and inspired by the effect that the Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 Magnaride system has in improving performance and control, according to the chief engineer of the Ford Fusion/Mondeo global platform. The CCD system in the Fusion Sport was used to control damping for more precise turning and dynamic handling, as well as to help isolate bumps caused by potholes and enable the car to be offered with a standard 19-inch wheel and tyre package. Although the system has been offered on Lincoln products, this is a first for the Ford brand.
To create the Sport model, the suspension was updated, addressing both handling and performance issues, as well as the increased weight of the engine. The all-wheel-drive system can put 50% of its power to the rear wheels on launch acceleration for a smoother take-off. Ford also went to great efforts to make the car quieter, including adding active noise cancellation and laminated glass in the windshield and front side windows. The Sport also offers a healthy growl from the V6, even more pronounced in sport mode, and is in keeping with the model's personality. The Sport model takes a more aggressive front fascia, which is said to be functional to accommodate the twin-turbos, as well as unique interior treatments and more bolstered seats.
As with many other midsize sedans, the Fusion Sport offers a sport mode. The Fusion Sport's sport setting adjusts the handling, firming up the CCD for more control. On the in-cabin powertrain sound, Ford said the "in-cabin noise cancellation is tuned for a more entertaining in-cabin engine note". The sport setting also adjusts the steering for a more intuitive feel better matched to vehicle response; makes the engine throttle response faster; and alters the transmission programming for more torque and responsiveness, while downshifts during braking are rev matched, gears are held through turns to maximise cornering performance, and gears are held at accelerator lift-off for maximum engine braking. In addition, a sport mode icon lights up on the driver's cluster. All of these features combine to deliver a confident and satisfying driving experience, at least on rural Michigan roads.
The 2017 Ford Fusion model range update introduces several technology improvements, most of which are available or standard on the Fusion Sport. Ford's parking assist system has been expanded to include perpendicular parking assist, as well as a park-out assist for parallel parking. The car has available adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go, and pedestrian detection and braking assist. Ford has also moved to an electronic shifter, although it uses a transponder to control a mechanical linkage, and this move opens up space in the centre console. To ensure safety, the system will automatically put the car in park mode if the driver opens the door and takes his or her foot off the brake with the car still in gear. There is also a new Fort Platinum model, which offers a near-bespoke interior, the 2.0-litre EcoBoost engine, and all-wheel-drive. The Platinum provides a premium, touring orientated counterpart to the Sport.
Ford says the Fusion Sport offers fuel economy of 17 mpg (city), 26 mpg (highway), and 20 mpg (combined). For an engine delivering 325 hp and 380 lb-ft of torque, with an all-wheel-drive (AWD) system, these figures are competitive. Ford also stated that the Fusion Sport is not a successor to the previous-generation V6/AWD offering, which was discontinued when this generation was launched. This generation Fusion Sport takes several mechanical enhancements to create a specific and unique model, whereas the previous version was largely a different engine variant; it used the previous 3.5-litre normally aspirated V6 engine, and, for its time, was also a solid entry.
Outlook and implications
Ford has made an interesting decision in reviving a V6 and all-wheel-drive, sporty sedan entry in the Sport. This increases the Fusion model offerings and complexity in a very crowded segment that is highly sensitive to sales incentives, but it also provides some legitimate sporting credentials for the last half of the car's lifecycle. A short test drive by IHS Automotive showed the Fusion Sport delivers an engaging driving experience, with more power and responsiveness than competitors' mid-size V6 sedans. However, the updated Fusion is being launched as the US light-vehicle market is forecast to see some contraction, creating a more competitive environment, and the Fusion is in the latter years of its lifecycle. IHS Automotive forecasts the Fusion will see sales of about 294,000 units in 2017, a bit below the 300,000-plus record in 2015. The next-generation Fusion is due to be launched during 2019.
Ford planners and engineers told IHS Automotive that Ford has determined there is an unmet need for this type of vehicle, and the automaker has the ability to meet that need using the twin-turbo 2.7-litre EcoBoost engine, offering reasonably good fuel economy and emissions. Consumer behaviour does not make such a statement obviously correct, as a look at the IHS Automotive registration data for the past several years shows that the share of V6 registrations versus 4-cylinder engines − for those few automakers offering both − has been consistently in decline. The Fusion Sport is executed with a clearer sport sedan mission than the Honda Accord V6 or the Toyota Camry V6, however, and Ford is betting that the offering will perform well in terms of sales.
In 2011, 19.5% of registered Honda Accords were equipped with V6 engines and the rest had 4-cylinder units, whereas this has fallen to 13.6% in 2015. For the Toyota Camry, the V6 engine's share of registrations has fallen from 7.7% to 3.6% over the same period. The Chrysler 200, which also launched an all-new model during the period from 2011 to 2016, saw its share of V6 registrations fall from 38.7% of all 200s to 16.0% in 2015. Ford offered a V6 in 2011 and 2012, and saw the V6's share drop from 22.0% to 19.8%. The model did not offer a V6 option for several model years. While adding a V6 to the Fusion range seems questionable, Ford believes that expanding the range to include three EcoBoost options, a hybrid and a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) enables the Fusion to cover every niche of the mid-size sedan segment − and that the company is unique in its ability to do so. When asked what the company expects the take rate to be, the answer from Ford was between 5% and 10% of Fusion buyers will opt for the Sport, but with the caveat that Ford can address a higher demand if it happens. Ford is also encouraged by the popularity of a similar package for the Ford Edge and Explorer. The Fusion seems, however, to be a more complete Sport variant, befitting a car rather than an SUV.
After a brief drive of the Fusion Sport, one can understand the logic behind the model a bit better. The Fusion Sport delivers a drive that seems greater than the sum of its parts. The chassis set-up, particularly in sport mode, is delightful: the seats offer a great blend between firm and comfortable, and are nicely bolstered to match the performance of the car; the transmission does, as promised, respond with more sporting authority; the engine is powerful on acceleration and passing, giving the Sport a bit more get-up-and-go; and the sound development, although by Ford's own admission partly created through effective noise tuning, provides a lovely audio track, appropriately gruff. Ford said it was looking to create a performance-orientated car, without a boy-racer feel. The Fusion Sport, on a 45-minute drive, delivers this very nicely. The car's pricing starts at about USD34,000, with the highly equipped test car we drove costing USD44,000.
About this article
The above article is from IHS Automotive Same-Day Analysis of automotive news, events and trends, and is a deliverable of the World Markets Automotive Service. The service averages thirty stories per day and also provides competitor and country intelligence. Get a free trial.