Of the many great things to say about the new Ford Fusion, this boast from Ford is the oddest: The 2013 Fusion, the automaker says, is now 13-percent cheaper to repair than the previous model.
Of course, the Blue Oval brand isn’t saying Fusion is 13-percent more dependable, or 13-percent less likely to break down, or that it’s 13-percent more effective at preventing old, blind, or drunk people from driving (though that would be pretty great) into a light pole. What Ford actually means is that Fusion’s rear bumper repair costs from low-speed impacts are 13-percent friendlier on consumer wallets.
Ford’s statisticians say that rear-end collisions are among the most frequent accidents in the country, and it estimates a 3-percent and 29-percent cost advantage over similar damage to Nissan Altima and Nissan Maxima.
“Our analysis shows approximately 19 percent of Fusion collisions involve a rear impact,” said Larry Coan, Ford Customer Service Damageability Engineer. “The new decklid integration panel should reduce repair costs in low-speed rear-end collisions by about 13 percent compared to the 2012 Fusion. This should deliver real savings to drivers in densely populated markets where parking can be a challenge.”
Aside from helping owners with repair costs, Ford says this additionally passes savings onto the customer via improved insurance rates. That may be true, but would it be a noticeable amount?
Anything to save a buck, though, we suppose.
Source: Ford
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