2013 Audi A3

American engineers will develop Ford’s global midsize platform

 
6 4,411 views Mar 23, 2009

ford mondeo titanium x 01

By utilizing two separate fuel tanks, the Tri-Fuel Mondeo is capable of driving up to 815 miles (1,311km)

By utilizing two separate fuel tanks, the Tri-Fuel Mondeo is capable of driving up to 815 miles (1,311km)

Enlarge Photo
Ford’s midsize Fusion sedan and its associated Mercury Milan and Lincoln MKZ cousins were just updated for the 2010 model year but details of the next-generation model, due in 2012, have already surfaced. While the current car is based on the CD3 platform from the Mazda6, the next Fusion will be derived from the architecture that underpins the current European Mondeo.

Called EUCD, the FWD platform was originally developed in Europe specifically for the Mondeo. Ford’s new global midsize sedan will be derived from this platform but updates will be done by engineers working in North America.

Speaking with Automotive News, Ford’s vice president of global product programs, Joe Bakaj, said the project had been assigned to the Blue Oval’s Dearborn engineering center in Detroit. "We're trying to balance the workload between the engineering centers, and so the cars are going to be led out of North America but with a global team," he explained.

In addition to North American engineers, representatives from Europe and Asia, including China, are on the team as well. This approach will allow the creation of a single, global model that can be later easily adapted to accommodate regional variations.

The decision to drop the Mazda6 platform ties in with Ford’s plan to reduce its link with Mazda, following the move last year to sell off most of its stake in the Japanese carmaker. The EUCD platform is also much newer than the Mazda6’s CD3 design and has been designed to easily accommodate AWD configurations, plus four, five, or six-cylinder powerplants. Its standard format is FWD.

Previous reports suggested that Ford of Europe is likely to extensively update EUCD for its next-generation Mondeo, with a longer wheelbase, wider track and more powerful engines all tipped to be among the list of changes. Any changes implemented for the next Mondeo will almost certainly flow on to the next Fusion.
Ford Mondeo Titanium X Sport
Ford Mondeo XR5

HI-RES GALLERY: ford mondeo titanium x 01

HI-RES GALLERY: ford mondeo xr5 turbo motorauthority 001




Tags:
Posted in:
 
Contribute
Send us a tip Comment Contact the editor
Follow Us

 

Have an opinion?Join the conversation!

  • Posting indicates you have read this site's Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
  • Notify me when there are more comments
Comments (6)

  1. ma_JGoldb avatar JGoldb Posted: 1/19/2009 12:52pm PST

    Will this mean the Mondeo's volvo-sourced ST engine will make it too?
     
    Post Reply
    Vote
    Bad stuff?

  2. ma_NoNameDenton avatar NoNameDenton Posted: 1/19/2009 1:27pm PST

    Wait the next Fusion will be based on the current platform, why not work on the replacments together so they are similar yet different for each market.
     
    Post Reply
    Vote
    Bad stuff?

  3. ma_Chris avatar Chris Posted: 1/19/2009 1:52pm PST

    noname i think thats what they're saying.. the platform will be extensively redone for 2012 in europe and at that time, the fusion will become the mondeo as it was in days of old
     
    Post Reply
    Vote
    Bad stuff?

  4. ma_NoNameDenton avatar NoNameDenton Posted: 1/19/2009 6:47pm PST

    Ok, I see it now, hopefully we get the DSG style transmission going into the Focus in this car as well, that would be good.
     
    Post Reply
    Vote
    Bad stuff?

  5. ma_Chris avatar Chris Posted: 3/23/2009 2:14pm PDT

    noname.. never saw that comment last time this article came around. i agree.. by 2012 they should be putting the DSG into this car. its supposed to start in the fiesta in 2010, work its way into the focus in 2011, and then 2012 the next fusion comes around? should be just on time for some DSG itself.

    this also means something huge too,.. you know that theyll design this with hybridization in mind, with the current half gen fusion getting a pretty extensive hybridization. will europe be getting a hybrid mondeo?

    or more importantly, will america be getting a diesel?
     
    Post Reply
    Vote
    Bad stuff?

  6. ma_NaBUru38 avatar NaBUru38 Posted: 3/23/2009 5:12pm PDT

    It's a logical move from Ford that the next-gen Mondeo is engineered in the Untied States. In Europe, the Mondeo's segment (non-luxury mid-size cars, aka large family cars) is shrinking every year. Most people who want a car roomier than a Golf/Focus/308 don't buy a Mondeo/Insignia/Passat, but am MPV or a SUV. And most people who want a car posher than a Golf/Focus/308 get a 3-Series or a C-Class.
     
    Post Reply
    Vote
    Bad stuff?

 

Have an opinion?Join the conversation!

Connect with Facebook

Motor Authority. Now with your friends.

Discover stories your friends read.
Share stories more easily.
You control what you share.
Learn more

Research New Cars

Go!


More from High Gear Media

 
 
MotorAuthority
  • Follow Us
  • Twiiter
  • Facebook
 
 
© 2011 MotorAuthority. All Rights Reserved. MotorAuthority is published by High Gear Media. Stock photography by Homestar, LLC. Send us feedback.