Ford has chosen this year’s Shanghai Auto Show to pull the covers off its latest creation: the 2021 Evos. Developed by the Changan Ford joint venture, under the Blue Oval’s China 2.0 plan, it is exclusive to the People’s Republic or is it? In fact, it looks suspiciously similar to the model that has been rumored to take the place of the Fusion in North America and the Mondeo in Europe.
Comparing the few pics released by Ford to
previous scoops, we noticed that the roof- and shoulder lines look the same. It
also has flush-mounted door handles, and even the wheels are identical.
However, a Ford spokesperson has previously stated that the company has “no
plans for a future Mondeo in Europe”, so we’d take the reports concerning the
Mondeo designation with a grain of salt.
Speaking of names, that’s not the first
time the Evos moniker has been used; in 2011, Ford unveiled the Evos Concept at
the Frankfurt Motor Show, and although it never materialized, it did preview
Ford’s new design language. Ford refers to the 2021 Evos as a coupe SUV.
It has a front end echoing the Equator full-size, seven-seater SUV and an
interior design dominated by the giant 1.1-meter (43-inch) screen that combines
a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster with a 27-inch 4K infotainment system.
Using Ford’s SYNC+ 2.0 system, it utilizes the new UI design and brings Baidu’s
AI technology.
Similar to the Mustang Mach-E, Ford EVOS
is equipped with Ford’s all-new Fully Networked Vehicle E/E architecture, which
supports dynamic, over-the-air software updates while as well as the brand’s
“first Virtual Personal Assistant”. Owners will be aided by the Level 2
semi-autonomous driving technology that supports hands-free operations on
prequalified section of divided highways. Details surround the powertrain were
pretty much non-existent at the time of writing.
The 2021 Evos will be built by Changan
Ford and will be sold in China by the Ford NDSD distribution network. Besides
the Evos, the company also displayed the Escape PHEV, local Mustang Mach-e,
Equator, Explorer, Edge Plus, Territory S, F-150 LTD and Mustang at the Chinese
auto show.