The 2013 Ford Fusion has been leaked ahead of its debut at the North American International Auto Show. The images have come with less than a day remaining until the new midsized family car makes its official debut. The new car has been developed as a global model under the “One Ford” programme, carrying the Mondeo name in Europe and the Ford Fusion badge in North America.
The 2013 Ford Fusion/Mondeo presents a striking new look that Ford’s design boss J Mays claims will set a styling benchmark in a segment populated by models such as the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord Euro and Mazda6. “I think [with Fusion] we’ve got a bit of a milestone moment with this car,” said Mays. “This is not just another C/D [medium size] car. It’s going to be a real contender in that market. And when I look at the competition, whether it’s Volkswagen, Toyota, Hyundai, Kia, Nissan … we’ve got a really strong product that we’re bringing to market.”
As expected, the Fusion/Mondeo is influenced by last year’s Ford Evos concept. The Fusion’s front end – notably the grille and narrow headlights – shows hints of current Aston Martins. The new Fusion is the latest global model under the blue oval’s ‘One Ford’ manner, and the overall styling – and the nicely balanced proportions – is clearly more of an evolution of the outgoing European Mondeo’s ‘Kinetic’ design than the previously separate US-focused Fusion.
Ford says it expects the Fusion/Mondeo to achieve best-in-class fuel efficiency whether customers opt for the ‘Ecoboost’ petrol models or hybrid and plug-in hybrid variants. The turbocharged direct fuel injection Ecoboost models include a 133 kW / 233 Nm 1.6-litre four-cylinder and a 177 kW / 339 Nm 2.0-litre four-cylinder. Diesels will also be in the mix for the Mondeo in Europe.
J Mays told motoring media at last week’s Delhi Auto Expo, where Ford launched its new EcoSport baby SUV, that the Fusion/Mondeo would influence the design of the new large car that will also replace the Taurus in the US.
The new Fusion’s underpinnings includes an all-new multi-link rear suspension, with Ford claiming the model will remain a driver’s car. More higher-strength steel has made the body 10 per cent stronger than its predecessor, according to the car maker.
The Fusion will also offer a Lane Keeping system. It uses a windshield-mounted camera to detect lane markers and determine if the driver drifts out of their lane without signaling. When this occurs, the steering wheel vibrates to alert the driver to take corrective actions.
