Spied! Is Ford planning to bring a sedan back to North America?
What looks like an apparent Fusion successor has been caught testing Stateside
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Despite having tossed all its cars – save for the Mustang – squarely in the recycling bin, Ford is apparently testing a sedan of some sort near one of its facilities in America. Could the Blue Oval be on the cusp of reintroducing a four-door car to its model lineup?
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Spy photographers tagged this camouflaged test mule roaming U.S. streets and wearing a Michigan license plate. Eagle eyes will note its front end shares much with the Evos crossover, a vehicle which is slated to be sold only in China, but everything rearward of the B-pillar is very reminiscent of the departed Fusion/Mondeo sedan. This vehicle sits much lower than the Evos as well.
One neat design flourish on this test car is a set of taillights which crib their basic design from that which is found on the all-electric Mach-E crossover. A trio of vertical lamps underpin a laser-like brow, one which could easily incorporate sequential turn signals like the Mach-E. If this portends a forthcoming Mustang-esque take on future Ford taillamps (these would look dandy on a restyled Edge, for example) then mark us down as fans.
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Of course, it’s always worth noting that companies with a worldwide sales network often test vehicles in markets where they will never be sold. Witness the buzz created by Ford when copies of Ranger Raptor test trucks appeared in Michigan, a machine which has yet to officially appear on this side of the pond.
Sometimes this happens thanks to simple testing needs, but it is not outside the realm of reality for a carmaker to simply be trying to create a distraction. You can imagine how loathed spy shots are by most development teams, after all.
Still, this mystery-mobile does have a slightly higher-than-normal ride height, not unlike the Polestar 2 or old Outback sedan. If Ford were to re-enter the four-door car market, this could be a good (read: all-wheel-drive) way to approach the segment.