Ford’s midsize sedan nameplate arrived in North America for the 2006 model year as the replacement for the Contour, giving the brand a more modern four-door family car with a broader mission than its predecessor. Built on Ford’s CD3 architecture, it was positioned between compact economy cars and larger full-size sedans, and it quickly became one of Ford’s most recognizable passenger cars of the 2000s and 2010s. The original car was followed by a fully redesigned second generation for 2013, which gave the nameplate a sleeker, more global look and helped define the car’s later identity as a tech-forward sedan.
Over its run, the model was offered in a wide range of configurations, from mainstream four-cylinder versions to hybrids and plug-in hybrid variants, plus more upscale trims and performance-oriented editions in later years. That breadth helped it serve both as a volume family sedan and as a showcase for Ford features such as advanced driver-assistance technology and electrified powertrains. The nameplate also became familiar to a wider audience through Ford’s hybrid test fleet and public technology demonstrations.
Ford ended North American production in 2020, marking the final model year for the sedan as the company shifted its passenger-car focus away from traditional four-door offerings. As a result, this nameplate is remembered as one of Ford’s key modern sedans: practical, broadly marketed, and important to the brand’s transition from conventional midsize cars toward newer electrified and utility-focused products.