Ford Evos Concept
Get thee gone, vanilla mid-size sedans: reports say that Ford will provide a good look at the all-new its new Fusion sedan at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show, and the car will be anything but boring.
Auto Express reports that Ford is hard at work finishing its Fusion and Mondeo show cars — the Fusion variant will likely debut at the North American International Auto Show in January, while the Mondeo iteration should debut months later in Geneva. Thanks to the One Ford strategy, which blends the development of similarly sized models from both sides of the Atlantic, the European Mondeo and American Fusion lines will become one, although each nameplate could continue to live on in different markets.
The Mondeo/Fusion will be based largely on the knockout Evos concept that was shown at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The front end will take the concept’s thin, angular headlamps and trapezoidal front grille and cooling apertures, which would give the Fusion an aggressive, chiseled look. Don’t be surprised if the Mondeo/Fusion show car itself is a thinly disguised preview of the actual production vehicle.
Underhood, expect the powertrain to differ considerably from the range-extended electric drive system shown in the Evos concept. Instead, expect the Fusion to get a selection of Ford’s new EcoBoost engines. Auto Express says we’ll see the 1.6-liter turbo four-cylinder, from the upcoming Fiesta ST, producing 180 hp and 170 lb-ft of torque. Another option may be the turbocharged 2.0-liter I-4 (also used in the Explorer and Edge), which could offer 237 hp and 250 lb-ft of torque. Diesels will likely be offered in Europe, but it’s still unknown if Ford will bring such offerings stateside.
Later in the product cycle, expect to see a plug-in hybrid system similar to that used in the 2012 Ford C-Max Energi. In the C-Max, the system provides for 50 miles of pure electric operation, but functions as a normal hybrid once the battery pack is depleted. All told, the vehicle should have a combined range close to 500 miles.
The Fusion should go on sale in our market close to Summer 2012.
