Curious as to the future of Ford family cars post-Mondeo? You might be looking at it…
By Matt Bird / Monday, April 19, 2021 / Loading comments
Once upon a time, the Ford Mondeo was pitched as Ford’s first ‘world car’; the name was even derived from ‘mundus’, the Latin for world. And while it had an impressive run, what the world requires from a car has changed pretty drastically even in the past few years. Because, well, the world has changed – as this new Ford EVOS proves. A Shanghai show debutant, it is the first vehicle created under the Blue Oval’s ‘China 2.0’ plan and “demonstrates [the] ‘Progressive Energy in Strength’ design philosophy aligned with Chinese aesthetics.” Imagine a company like Ford prioritising China as a market above all others like this even a decade ago.
Of course it fits a pattern. Elsewhere at Shanghai, Volkswagen unveiled the ID.6, a seven-seat all-electric SUV that is also exclusive to the Chinese market. The EVOS appears like a lot of coupe-style SUVs, pretty close to Ford’s own Mustang Mach-E actually, despite the claims of “an innovative silhouette that communicates the agility and dynamic value of a coupe combined with the strength and sense of freedom of an SUV.” Perhaps the biggest area of intrigue for the EVOS is inside, with an enormous screen taking the place of a conventional dashboard and stretching for more than a metre between the doors.
The setup comprises a 12.3-inch digital cluster for the driver and a 27-inch 4K screen for the remaining controls, powered by Sync+ 2.0 and featuring Ford’s first Virtual Personal Assistant. Interestingly, the ‘smart digital cabin experience’ is the result of feedback specifically from Chinese customers. Like the Mach-E, the EVOS is fitted with Ford’s Fully Networked Vehicle E/E architecture to facilitate over the air software updates.
The EVOS has been revealed to a Chinese audience alongside the Mustang and Escape PHEV, comprising a three-pronged attack on the local SUV market. While no further details have yet been announced on an EVOS powertrain, it has been confirmed that the car will be built by Changan Ford, then sold by the Ford NDSD network in China. For now that is the extent of its reach – but the internet seems to believe that the firm’s aspirations for its new production model are considerably broader than that, pitching the EVOS as a potential replacement for the Mondeo in Europe and Fusion in the States. Either way, don’t be surprised to hear more about the car in the coming months – after all, a global Ford offering in the 2020s surely looks a lot like this one.
- Farewell Ford Mondeo | Buy Hard
- Ford Mustang Mach-E | PH Road Test
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