Ford's decision to shift its attention to crossovers and SUVs instead of more traditional body styles has led to the demise of its entire passenger car lineup in the United States. In fact, the only surviving model that doesn't have a high ground clearance is the Mustang, which is in an entirely new generation.
Thus, models such as the Fusion, otherwise known as the Mondeo on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, have been dropped altogether. But the mid-size car lives on in China and the Middle East, where it received a fresh iteration last year, known as the Mondeo in the former market and the Tauris in the latter.
Made in the People's Republic by Changan Ford, it is a bit larger than its predecessor and comes with a choice of two powertrains, both fed by gasoline and hooked up to automatic transmissions only. As for its construction, it is the same one featured on the Evos and Lincoln Z. We're not fans of the exterior design, but at least it looks instantly recognizable as something made by the Blue Oval. The interior is on the modern side, with a massive widescreen display taking center stage.
If most new car buyers weren't so interested in crossovers and SUVs, then this generation Ford Fusion could have made its way to North America. It could have also been sold in Europe as the Mondeo. But it will never make its way to these markets officially, as the Dearborn company isn't willing to risk multiple million dollars to see numerous copies sitting in dealer lots and trying to attract shoppers that clearly favor something with generous ground clearance.
But what if it somehow made its way to the Western world with an alternative design language? With this question in mind, Q Cars on YouTube set out to imagine what it could look like. And we've got to admit that we're fans of the styling, as the car features an arched roofline behind the central pillars, flush-mounted door handles, new LED headlights, a smaller grille, full-width LED taillights and an aggressive rear bumper and diffuser, with its name being proudly displayed on the trunk lid.
The four tailpipes give it a sporty presence and indicate the presence of a good old gasoline engine under the hood. Ford certainly has enough such mills in its portfolio to choose a punchy one, and it also has the right tools to make the new Fusion/Mondeo a reality for North America and Europe. Nonetheless, as we already told you, this model is wishful thinking, as it will probably never return here, not as a mid-size car, anyway. But if it did, would you be willing to kick that crossover out of bed for it?
After a series of unfortunate events put an end to Cristian's dream of entering a custom built & tuned old-school Dacia into a rally competition, he moved on to drive press cars and write for a living. He's worked for several automotive online journals and now he's back at autoevolution after his first tour in the mid-2000s. Full profile
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