In a move to spice up this absurd Bizarro World timeline, new spy shots of a mysterious long-roof prototype hints that Ford is readying a lifted five-door midsize wagon/SUV to clash with the Subaru Outback. Remember, this is the same Ford that canceled all traditional sedans and hatches in favor of a lineup populated only by trucks, crossovers, and full-size SUVs (and the Mustang).
While there is no explicit Ford badging to be found on the exterior of the mule, the front fascia is very similar to the one found on the current Ford Edge, and that blacked-out oval badge in the center is a dead giveaway. Plus, we’d heard rumors of a CUV-style wagon on the horizon since soon after the demise of the original Fusion.
We’re unsure of the original source of these images, but we do know they first appeared on Chinese websites and have since filtered out through various Instagram accounts, where we get an eyeful of the wagon’s front, rear corner, hard rear, and dashboard. According to rumors and reports, the new five-door will make its debut abroad as the Mondeo before arriving as the outright replacement for the dearly departed (well, departed at least) Fusion, the U.S. ‘s version of the Mondeo.
If you’re scratching your head as to why Ford thinks a station wagon would be the sales ticket while the still-lucrative sedan segment isn’t worth a shot, don’t think of this as a traditional wagon à la Mercedes-Benz E-Class state or Volvo V60. Really, this is closer in profile and ethos to a low-slung crossover SUV like the aforementioned Subaru Outback. Expect this to be larger, longer, taller, and a segment up on the Volkswagen Golf Alltrack, which was recently discontinued.
Outside of general proportions, we don’t glean much of what the finalized design might look like, but the single shot of the interior reveals a stunning infotainment display that runs almost the entire width of the dash. We can’t tell if this is one unbroken screen or multiple screens cleverly integrated into one frame, but it looks to be among the largest total display spaces we’ve seen in a production vehicle thus far.
Again, details are scarce, but buyers should expect a mix of turbocharged four-cylinder, turbocharged V-6, hybrid, and potentially even electric drivetrains. All-wheel drive is likely standard, and we should get a better look at the production version of the Fusion Active or whatever it may be called when it debuts sometime in 2021.
