DEARBORN, MI – Ford said its 2013-MY Fusion will have lower repair costs, $267 lower to be exact when compared with the outgoing 2012 model, if a Fusion is involved in a rear-end collision.

The automaker said it mounted an integration panel to the rear face of the Fusion’s decklid. When a low-speed impact occurs, Ford said it designed the panel to absorb the brunt of the force. Ford said it first used this design on the European-market Mondeo.

“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.”