In case there was any doubt about which American automaker has a real shot at longevity, Ford recently announced that 60% of those who bought the Fusion this year were buyers new to Ford. The Fusion’s new Ford buyers, of ”conquest sales,” have been increasing steadily, up 6 percentage points from January of this year, according to a release, and 11 points from the 2009 calendar year.The latest numbers for the Fusion Hybrid, featuring a hybrid gas/electric engine, are even better, with 82% of those who purchased them in February new to the brand. The Ford Fusion comes in seven different models ranging in fuel efficiency from 18/27 MPG City/Hwy (on the V6) to 41/36 MPG City/Hwy (on the Hybrid).
“It’s extraordinary that a car could set sales records and continue to excel in an environment where overall industry sales in the midsize segment are down 19 percent from a year ago,” said Ken Czubay, Ford vice president of Marketing and Sales and Service, in a statement. What’s perhaps more extraordinary is that no American automaker, until now, has tried to capitalize on the growing market for fuel-efficient mid-sized cars.
