Ford Fusion breaks into Top 10 best-selling vehicles amid best year ever
Posted Nov 13th 2009 8:01AM by Chris Shunk
2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid - Click above for high-res image gallery
There was a time when Ford vehicles absolutely dominated the list of the top 10 vehicles sold in the U.S. The F-Series was always number one, followed by stalwarts like the Taurus, Explorer, Ranger and even the Focus (or Escort before that). 2001 was a long time ago, though, and the past eight years haven't exactly been stellar for the Blue Oval. The tide may be changing for 2009, though, as the Dearborn, MI-based automaker has seen its market share rise steadily in a down auto market.
Ford's biggest success may be the 2010 Fusion, as the sharply redesigned sedan now delivers best-in-class fuel economy, an impressive hybrid option, a Sport model and all the features and amenities necessary to compete against the best vehicles in the segment. Customers have taken notice of the new Fusion, and Ford's payoff is that Fusion sales are the best they've ever been. In fact, Ford has already eclipsed the model's all-time best sales year of 2007 by nearly 2,000 units. The Fusion is selling so well in this dismal car market that it has now made its way into the top 10 vehicles sold in the U.S. Ford can also take pride in the fact that the Fusion is the best-selling domestic car (not including trucks) in the U.S.
While the Fusion has finally hit its stride after five years on the market, Ford's mid-size sedan has a long way to go before catching the Japanese bogeys. The Toyota Camry has nearly doubled the Fusion's year-to-date sales of 151,000 units, and the Honda Accord isn't too far behind. Even the Nissan Altima is ahead of the Fusion by nearly 18,000 units.
While the Fusion still has a ways to go before it can look down upon the likes of Camry and Accord, we're thinking cracking the Top 10 is still worth a Dos Equis or two. Hit the jump to read over the Ford press release, which is rightfully chock full of bragging.
[Source: Ford]
PRESS RELEASE:
* Sales of the Ford Fusion – America's most fuel-efficient midsize sedan – have set a new record with sales figures for 2009 already eclipsing the previous full-year record set in 2007
* Fusion is now among America's Top 10 selling vehicles and the No. 1 selling domestic car
* Fusion consideration from import shoppers is at an all-time high
* Consumers want new features and smart technology, with half opting to buy high series models – Fusion Hybrid, Sport and SEL
DEARBORN, Mich., Nov. 12, 2009 – Soaring sales of the Ford Fusion have made 2009 already a record-breaking year for America's most fuel-efficient midsize sedan.
Sales for 2009 already have reached 151,137 units, eclipsing the previous Fusion full-year sales high of 149,552 in 2007. Importantly, Fusion sales are skyrocketing at a time when industry sales are the lowest they have been since the early '80s.
"It's extraordinary that a car could set a sales record in an environment where overall industry sales are down 26 percent from a year ago," Ford sales analyst George Pipas said.
In the first ten months of 2009, Fusion sales were 15 percent higher than a year ago. Also, Fusion has moved among America's Top 10 selling vehicles and the No. 1 selling domestic car.
The 2010 Fusion and Fusion Hybrid are the most fuel-efficient sedans in America. The new models offer more power, class-exclusive technologies, such as Blind Spot Information System (BLIS®) and Ford SYNC®, and more total passenger and luggage capacity than the Toyota Camry.
According to Fusion Marketing Manager Jonathan Richards, the diversity of the 2010 Fusion lineup is drawing a growing number of customers to the brand.
"There is no reason for customers shopping for a midsize sedan to look beyond the Fusion, because the lineup offers something for everyone – a Hybrid model, a Sport version and a new selection of gas-powered engines paired with six-speed transmission," he said.
Sales data show that consumers are taking notice.
"Fusion Hybrid, Sport and SEL models account for 50 percent of sales," said Richards. "Data also show that customers are embracing technology offerings such as voice-activated navigation, SYNC and Sony® Audio."
Sales of the new Fusion Hybrid account for almost 20 percent of total Fusion retail sales. Perhaps even more significant, more than 60 percent of Fusion Hybrid sales have been to customers coming from import brands – mostly Toyota and Honda.
The Fusion Hybrid delivers an EPA estimated 41 mpg rating in the city and 36 mpg on the highway, topping the Toyota Camry hybrid by 8 mpg in the city and 2 mpg on the highway. It also offers innovative new technology – SmartGauge™ with EcoGuide – that coaches hybrid drivers to maximize fuel efficiency.
According to early 2010 survey data obtained in the 2009 U.S. Global Quality Research System (GQRS), the 2010 Fusion Hybrid has the highest customer satisfaction ratings of any Ford vehicle ever. The survey was conducted for Ford Motor Company by RDA Group of Bloomfield Hills, Mich.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
hoogstrate 3:38AM (11/15/2009)
Its nice to know that electric cars are coming out in a big way. We sure need alternatives to vehicles that run on gas alone. When more of these cars are manufactured by more car manufacturers, then we can expect costs to come down as well. We maintain a global sustainability directory called Climatarians, in which we list sites that feature such unique innovations.
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why not the LS2LS7? 10:42AM (11/13/2009)
What class exactly do you think the Fusion is in that it gets best-in-class fuel economy?
The Fusion gets 22/31 (automatic).
The Camry gets 22/32 (22/33 with a stick).
The Malibu gets 22/33 (automatic).
So a car that is 3rd in its class (tied for 3rd if you count the Accord which isn't technically in the same class although it probably is cross-shopped a fair bit) for fuel economy making the top 10 in sales is posted to ABG as a story. There sure isn't much of a green angle here that I can see. The Hybrid maybe, but Ford didn't list the Hybrid sales here.
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Brandon 11:15AM (11/13/2009)
Strange. Window stick on Fusions list 23 City 34 Highway for the 2010. All Fords advertising has said the same. Is the EPA site wrong or is Ford wrong?
Chris 11:27AM (11/13/2009)
Here's where they get best in class EPA:
"The Fusion Hybrid delivers an EPA estimated 41 mpg rating in the city and 36 mpg on the highway, topping the Toyota Camry hybrid by 8 mpg in the city and 2 mpg on the highway"
Here's the mention of hybrid sales amounts:
"Sales of the new Fusion Hybrid account for almost 20 percent of total Fusion retail sales. "
jake 12:21PM (11/13/2009)
There's two entries for the 2010 Ford Fusion S FWD on the EPA site. The automatic version says 23/34, the manual version is 22/31. The automatic version of the regular Fusion is 22/31 also and the manual 22/29. It seems the S model and the automatic versions are more efficient, which is counter-intuitive.
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/2008car1tablef.jsp?id=26406
http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/2008car1tablef.jsp?id=26407
On Ford's website it says 23/34.
http://www.fordvehicles.com/cars/fusion/
why not the LS2LS7? 12:34PM (11/13/2009)
Counting the hybrid as the entire model line seems rather misleading. And "almost 20%" is rather non-specific, it could mean 15%. Also, given the Fusion Hybrid gets the same real-world mpg as the Camry, I'm incredibly disappointed.
I got the answer on the window stickers. There's a Fusion S model that is listed in the EPA site. It gets 23/34 mpg (automatic, it does worse as a manual). It has narrower tires, smaller rims, is a stripped-down model (although it does have A/C but no climate control) and there are literally only two options for it, optional versus automatic and floor mats. It's available with only one color interior (beige). There are 5 exterior colors though, red, beige, black, silver and white.
This is kinda of a gimmick model here. I can't imagine it accounts for much of their sales or inventory on lots. But it is the highest mpg non-hybrid in its class.
KK 11:43AM (11/13/2009)
> Fusion is now among America's Top 10 selling
> vehicles and the No. 1 selling domestic car
I can't find the actual list of the top 10 selling vehicles - anyone got a link? The above statement could mean the 9 top-selling cars in the US are all imports, and the Ford Fusion is #10.
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wincros 12:30PM (11/13/2009)
When you make a handsome car that is decently finished, gets high marks in driving satisfaction in road tests, gets good fuel economy and is at the top if the heap in reliability you can sell a lot of cars. Wow. Who knew?
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why not the LS2LS7? 12:35PM (11/13/2009)
Where's this info you have on how the Fusion is top of the heap in reliability?
wincros 12:45PM (11/13/2009)
Consumer Reports has singled it out two years running as the most reliable car in its class, even better than the usual champs like Toyota and Honda.
Carney 12:42PM (11/13/2009)
Shame on ABG for ignoring that 2010 brought in the first ever flex fuel Fusion. At last without spending thousands extra for hybrid capability Fusion buyers can still slash their gasoline use by filling up on E85 instead.
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Mike 1:52PM (11/13/2009)
whats this mythical E85 you speak of
Carney 2:47PM (11/13/2009)
Mike, E85 is sold at over 2,000 filling stations nationwide, right alongside gasoline.
To find one near you, visit http://www.e85refueling.com/
Chris M 2:17AM (11/14/2009)
Thanks for the web link, Carney. Hmm, the nearest E85 station to me is 42 miles away in Livermore, or I could go over 56 miles to Sacramento. I'd waste more gasoline driving that far than the E85 could possibly save!
Carney 2:28PM (11/16/2009)
Chris M., those 2,000 stations are a heck of a lot more than the mere 300 that existed juts a few years ago, when you would probably have faced a much longer drive to find E85. I think it's amazing that any gas stations at all would put up an E85 pump given that cars that can use them are only 3% of the market, let alone that E85 pumps would be spreading across the land so quickly. Even a giant 12 pump filling station would be giving up 8.5% of its gasoline sales to try to appeal to only 3% of the market by switching just one pump to E85, and smaller stations are giving up even larger portions of their sales capacity.
If you really are concerned about making E85 more available, then contact your Congressman and Senators and ask them to co-sponsor H.R. 1476 and S. 385, which mandate that the vast majority of gasoline cars sold in America also be fully flex fueled, able to run on any alcohol fuel as easily as gasoline - thus E85 compatible. That would dramatically increase the market share of alcohol compatible cars in just a few years, which would make offering alcohol fuel a much easier proposition for filling station owners to make money on.
Carney 12:46PM (11/13/2009)
Hear hear NS.
I keep reporting this blanking spammer but nothing ever happens. His spam posts don't get yanked and he keeps posting new ones.
Here's a hint, ABG/BlogSmith/AOL geniuses, ban any username with "xuchaoxiong' in it.
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Chris M 2:22AM (11/14/2009)
In case you didn't notice, the spam does get deleted, it just takes time. So please keep clicking the "Report this message" button - the exclamation [ ! ] next to the plus and minus buttons - to report the spam and get it removed.
Invisible 3:52PM (11/13/2009)
Since when is a car built in Mexico using older Mazda platforms considered "A DOMESTIC"?
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prjoy 12:42PM (11/14/2009)
It might be made in Mexico, but the profits stay in the USA. A Camery on the other hand is made here but the profits go to Japan...
blogs325 12:35AM (1/23/2010)
The ford fusion hybrid model, a Sport version, and a new selection of gas-powered engines paired with six-speed transmissions.” Ford Motor Company announced today that it sold nearly 151,137 2010 Fusions thus far. The new Fusion Hybrid accounts for nearly 20 percent of all Fusion sales, and interestingly, Ford says about 60 percent of Fusion Hybrid customers are coming out of foreign makes namely Toyota and Honda. With an EPA rating of 41/36mpg city or highway, the sedan manages to the best comparable Hybrid by 8 mpg city on the freeway. For http://www.macktruck.org
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