• Retail registrations up 12 percent through July, more than twice the growth rate of midsize sedan segment

• A 27 percent retail registration growth rate in California makes the state the biggest contributor to Fusion sales growth

• Fusion market share operating at record levels of 12 percent through September according to industry sales data

The Ford Fusion is continuing to gain market share in large part due to design-conscious buyers in California.

The midsize sedan segment in the U.S. overall continues to grow in sales volume, but as a percentage of total sales the segment is being outpaced by other segments, including small utilities.

Despite those headwinds in the segment, Ford Fusion retail registrations continue to grow at double the pace of the midsize sedan segment overall, according to Ford analysis of Polk new vehicle registration data from IHS Automotive.

Sales growth for the Ford Fusion sedan can be largely attributed to retail demand from motorists in the Golden State. With retail registrations up 27 percent in California through July, the state contributed to 21 percent of Fusion’s retail sales growth in the U.S. market.

“Fusion is achieving growth in all the right places, especially in California, which is the largest midsize sedan market in the country, followed by Texas,” said Erich Merkle, Ford sales analyst. “Fusion growth in California is growing at twice the rate of the overall midsize sedan segment. Fusion sales and share are both the highest levels we’ve seen.”

Texas was the second biggest contributor to Fusion sales growth with 22 percent retail gains, representing 14 percent of U.S. Fusion retail registration growth in the U.S. through July.

Since its launch in 2006, the Ford Fusion has continued to attract customers and grow sales, cutting into a segment dominated by Japanese competitors for the last 20 years.

Through September of this year, Fusion has seen its market share climb to an all-time high of 12 percent, according to industry sales data, and has produced record sales for six of the last nine months.