Ford announced plans to phase out the Fusion in North America in 2018, but it appears the model isn’t going away completely.
Instead, Car & Driver says it will be replaced by a rugged wagon known as the Fusion Active.
While nothing is official, Ford originally intended to do something similar with the Focus. The company planned to import the Focus Active from China, but the Trump administration’s tariffs on Chinese-made vehicles made them cancel those plans. As a result, the Focus is no longer offered in North America.
Also Read: Ford Working On Crossover-Styled Mondeo Successor, Will Debut In Mid-2021
Getting back to the Fusion Active, the model is slated to be based on the European Mondeo wagon. However, it will be butched up to appear more-crossover like. This means we can expect plastic body cladding, an increased ride height and standard all-wheel drive.
In essence, the Fusion Active will follow the same formula as the Subaru Outback. It has worked out pretty well for the Japanese automaker as the company sold over 180,000 Outbacks in the United States last year.
Ford hopes the Fusion Active will be just as successful, although the last American automaker to try a rugged wagon didn’t find much success. We’re talking about the Regal TourX which is in the process of being phased out as Buick is transitioning into a crossover-only brand in North America.
The publication says the wagon should reach dealerships late next year and be equipped with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that is paired to an eight-speed automatic gearbox. A plug-in hybrid variant is also expected and pricing is rumored to start around $30,000.
