Ford has been spied testing its new Evos crossover on Australian roads.
These images of the Ford Evos were sent in by CarExpert reader Danielle, and show a left-hand drive engineering prototype wearing Chinese badges.
Don’t get your hopes up for an Australian debut, though.
At launch Ford confirmed the Evos is for China only, and there’s been no movement on that stance since.
Ford’s proving ground in the You Yangs and its Broadmeadows design studio are used to develop global vehicles in the Blue Oval family, so it’s not uncommon for foreign cars to find their way to Melbourne.
It’s believed the Evos rides on a variation of the CD4 architecture underpinning the Mondeo and related North American Fusion sedan, as well as the S-Max and Galaxy people movers, Chinese-market Taurus sedan, and the Lincoln Nautilus crossover.
What will power it hasn’t been revealed, but it’s likely Ford will offer petrol, hybrid, and pure-electric drivetrains in China.
Although it’s not pictured here, the cabin is dominated by a 1.1m-wide slab of screens. It encompasses a 27-inch touchscreen and a 12.3-inch display ahead of the driver.
As for whether the Evos will be offered overseas? What looks like a non-SUV version of the car has been snapped testing in Europe, but Ford is keeping its cards close to its chest.
Before it was tied to China, the Evos was expected to succeed the Mondeo, which is being phased out around the world on the back of low demand for traditional mid-sized sedans.
“The market segment in which the Mondeo competes has been dwindling for years and is down about 80 percent since 2000,” a Ford Europe spokesperson told Automotive News Europe in 2020.
Exactly what will fill the Mondeo and Fusion’s shoes in Europe and North America remains to be seen.
The Mondeo was introduced to Europe in 1993 as a replacement for the Sierra, and has a strong place in popular British culture.
The UK equivalent of an Aussie Battler is sometimes colloquially known as the Mondeo Man, and the car is driven by “Mr Inconspicuous” in When the sun goes down by the Arctic Monkeys.
In Australia the Mondeo went head-to-head with the all-conquering Toyota Camry, along with European rivals such as the Volkswagen Passat and Skoda Superb.
It also took on the Holden Vectra and its short-lived Epica and Malibu successors in a slightly lower-octane spin on the classic Red vs Blue battle between the Commodore and Falcon.
Thanks to Danielle for the images!
