Ford says ditching sedans was absolutely the right call, but it might bring them back. The company is considering a return to sedans, but only if it can be very cost-effective. In a recent interview with Automotive News, Andrew Frick, head of the Ford Blue and Model E business units, stated that the decision to eliminate sedans from the U.S. lineup was a good one.
Ford eliminated all cars from its U.S. lineup after 2019, leaving only SUVs, pickup trucks, and vans. When asked if, in hindsight, he thought this was a good decision, Frick replied "absolutely." He noted that the company was competing to compete in some of those vehicle lines, but by taking that capital and putting it into other products, Ford was able to create successful vehicles like the Bronco, Maverick, and Bronco Sport.
View Price on AmazonFrick acknowledged that Ford might still have an opportunity in segments beyond its bread and butter pickups and SUVs, but said the way those vehicles are selling isn't leaving him nostalgic for the days of the Focus, Fusion, and Fiesta. He added that he would trade the way some of Ford's cars were competing with the way the Maverick is competing every day of the week.
In its best year, the Fusion managed 306,860 sales, which was 81,514 units short of the Honda Accord and 121,746 less than the Toyota Camry. It was about half the number of F-Series pickups sold that year. In the context of those truck sales, sedans are small potatoes to Ford. As Frick said, Ford is playing to win in the truck segments, whereas it was never able to consistently fight the Japanese automakers in the sedan market.
However, Ford and the other Detroit automakers seem to finally be acknowledging that increasing new-car prices could limit sales, and that sedans might be needed again. At the 2026 Detroit Auto Show, Ford CEO Jim Farley called the sedan market "very vibrant," but said "we just couldn't find a way to compete and be profitable."
When asked about Farley's comments, Frick played a similar tune. He said for a sedan to make sense, it would have to be "very cost-effective for us" and that it would likely come from "within a family that we may already offer." He also said that "we look to expand on the Mustang family as we move forward." So it sounds like a new Ford sedan could wear the pony car's badge, if it happens at all.
Source: thedrive.com
