This Is What the Ford Fusion Could Have
Become
The China-market Mondeo sedan continues on with a new design.
BY JOEY CAPPARELLA
JAN 17, 2022
(Courtesy of Car and Driver)
Ford revealed the new Mondeo at its China Design Center in Shanghai
today, calling the sedan's look "a bold new design language for China."
The new model will go on sale in China this year.
If things were different and Ford hadn't chosen to concentrate on SUVs
and trucks in the U.S., this could have been the next Fusion for us.
Ford killed off the Fusion mid-size sedan along with all of its other
passenger cars in the U.S., but the four-door lives on in other markets.
Now Ford has unveiled the new Mondeo for the China market, and it gives
us an idea of what the next Fusion could have been in an alternate
universe.
The Mondeo follows Ford's design language, which is also seen on the
Evos and other China-market products, with a somewhat angular front end.
The proportions are conventional mid-size-sedan fare, and the rear end
takes cues from the Mustang Mach-E electric crossover.
Ford hasn't released mechanical details on the new Mondeo, but we reckon
it's front-wheel drive and powered by a turbo four-cylinder gas engine
of some kind. The related Lincoln Zephyr sedan, also for China, has a
turbo 2.0-liter four, but the Mondeo will likely offer
smaller-displacement engines as well.
There's no chance we'll see the Mondeo on our shores anytime soon, as
Ford is committed to its SUV and truck strategy in the States. But there
have been rumors of a Fusion Active lifted wagon for a while, so it's
possible that model could be related to this Mondeo if it ever comes to
fruition.
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