Driven by the decrease in sales of this type of models, Ford decided to end all saloons (two and three volumes) that it currently sells in the US, with the exception of the next Focus Active… and Mustang — the best-selling sports car in the world — for itself dedicate only to the sale of pick-up trucks, crossovers and SUVs.
The US market was completely conquered by SUVs and Trucks — they now account for nearly two-thirds of the market — and with these announcements, it is likely that their market share will continue to grow.
The decision, announced last Wednesday by the new CEO of the blue oval brand, Jim Hackett, put an end to the production of what was the Detroit manufacturer's saloon par excellence for the North American market.
The Ford Fusion, whose current generation launched in 2015, despite continuing to sell in impressive numbers — more than 200 thousand units in 2017 — continues to lose customers to SUVs, and cannot be as profitable as these.
But what about Mondeo?
The question, however, raised another problem: could this also be the first step towards the end of the Mondeo, the flagship model of Ford in Europe, which is nothing more than a derivation of the American Fusion?According to the American manufacturer, the existence of the Mondeo is not at risk, and although the disappearance of the Fusion is confirmed, the European model will continue to be part of the brand's offer in the Old Continent.
Ford also denies information released some time ago that the Mondeo, currently produced in Spain, on the same assembly line where the S-Max and the Galaxy are manufactured (they all share the same platform), could see its production transferred to China.
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It is, therefore, to continue…
In principle, yes. By the way, Mondeo has an update in the pipeline for this year. And that won't even leave out the hybrid variant!
However, as Felipe Muñoz, a global analyst at the consulting firm JATO Dynamics, also says, in statements to Automotive News Europe, “the viability of models such as the Mondeo, Insignia or Superb may depend, in the future, on demand that on the Chinese market”.
After all, the preference of Chinese consumers for saloons is well known — despite the fact that, also in China, SUVs are gaining ground. Although this type of bodywork is not, on the contrary, in great demand in Europe.
It remains, therefore, to wait for the next time, to see if the rumors of the “announced death” of the Ford Mondeo, are — or not — an exaggeration...