2013 Ford Fusion Breaks Cover

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Originally Posted By: KrisZ
I could be wrong, but I thought the CD4 platform is a derivative of CD3. Ford eventually has to bring out a totally new platform as this one is almost 10 years old.


Nope, CD4 is a derivative of EUCD. Though in reality CD4 is an ALL NEW platform that takes certain details from both EUCD and CD3, EUCD is definitely far and away the dominant ancestor.

http://www.leftlanenews.com/next-gen-ford-fusion-to-be-based-on-european-ford-mondeo.html

This has been widely reported on for a couple of years now, and one look at the hard points reveals the CD4 to be closely tied to EUCD. There's no 10 year old platform to be found underneath the 2013 Fusion.

Originally Posted By: Automotive News
Derrick Kuzak, Ford group vice president of global product development, said at last years 2009 Detroit auto show, that the Mondeo's EUCD platform will be the foundation for that global vehicle. Core development work for the global mid-sized, or CD-segment, car has been assigned to Ford of Europe engineers.
EUCD is newer than the CD3 platform. The CD3 underpins the U.S. Ford Fusion, its Mercury Milan and Lincoln MKZ siblings, and the Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX crossovers.
The CD3 platform is derived from the Mazda6 sedan. Late last year, Ford reduced its stake in Mazda from a controlling interest to 13 percent.
Ford CEO Alan Mulally "is demanding that they have just one global platform for each size," IHS Global Insight analyst John Wolkonowicz said. "As they're reducing their ties with Mazda, it makes sense to have their own."
Wolkonowicz noted that Kuzak led development of the EUCD platform when he oversaw product development in Europe. "It's one of his," said Wolkonowicz, who added that the global platform has been dubbed CD4 within Ford.
Source - Amy Wilson
Automotive News
January 19, 2009
 
Originally Posted By: Ben99GT
Originally Posted By: KrisZ
This "new" Fusion is no surprise at all, I'm more interesded in Ford's next generation platforms.


I could be wrong but I do not think the Mazda 6 is built on the EUCD/CD4 platform, which is what the 2007+ Mondeo and 2013 Fusion is built on.

The Mazda-derived CD3 is going by the wayside for far superior bones. EUCD/CD4 is a Ford platform through and through, BTW.


The Mazda 6 pictured is a Mazda GH platform. It was the Mazda GG years before it was a Ford CD3.

As far as superior...
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That's a matter of opinion.

I'm sure there are those among us who think that the Mitsubishi Galant is a superior platform to the current Fusion, Mazda6, or even the Camry Accord and Altima. But if it rides like they want it to, handles like they want it to, and doesn't have all those "superfluous" 5th and 6th gears in their transmissions, so be it. I still think the Mazda GF 626 was better than the Ford Contour variant of the Mondeo and that the Probe was a better car than the Mondeo based Cougar. I'm sure there is someone out there who thinks I'm crazy right now for liking the Probe better than the Cougar.
 
Originally Posted By: 91344George
Originally Posted By: Ben99GT


That's because a lot of Hyundai/Kia's current design language was lifted from Ford of Europe's "kinetic design". The new Fusion follows the kinetic theme.



This is correct. Hyundai and Kia RIPPED OFF FORD.

Dang..I think Hyundai/Kia must have legions of internet marketing shills on almost every automotive forum .



Yes, I am definitely a Hyundai/Kia marketing shill.
 
Originally Posted By: Spazdog
So.....we are going back to the Mondeo.

Back to the Euro-Ford well that has often poisoned them. The Focus seems like one of the rare European Fords that is both a good car and will sell. Msybe they are on to something this time. (The Fiesta used Mazda engineers so it is a combination of Euro-Ford and Mazda and doesn't count)


I think Ford could have easily made the Contour a better car than it was. My dad bought a '98 Sport V6 automatic new when his '90 Taurus finished off transmission #2. The Contour was pretty quick for the time with the V6, and it handled great. It was definitely a fun to drive car and nicely sized. Ford just cheaped out on the interior. The plastics looked and felt like [censored], and the paint was chipping off the steering wheel. The overall design was good though, and my dad's was reliable. It never had any serious issues until being rear ended by a Cherokee doing about 35 MPH. The insurance company actually repaired the car, but it was never right again and they ended up totaling it due to suspension and electrical problems that resulted from the wreck. I kind of miss it...it was way more fun than the Civic Hybrid that replaced it.
 
Originally Posted By: KrisZ
...still, the current Mazda 6 and the new Fusion look awfully similar, from the outside at least.


Just like the current Mazda6 looks like the 2007-2012 Mondeo, which came out first. I don't think people realize how influential the 2007-up Mondeo (EUCD) has been to the FWD midsize segment, probably because it wasn't sold here. But it was pretty revolutionary in Europe (aesthetically and dynamically) and it's design has influenced a lot of the current crop of mid-size cars, including the new Sonata.

I'm just excited that we are finally getting an updated/improved (and IMO a better looking version) of the EUCD Mondeo here in the US, and even more excited that some of them will be built in the US.

I've been wanting the EUCD Mondeo here ever since I saw it in Casino Royale, I always thought it made the Fusion (and Camry/Accord/Altima) look like a joke in comparison.
 
No question that the US REALLY was ripped off when Ford refused to bring its very best product here to the US and that included the MKII Mondeo. It runs circles around the current Fusion in every way.

We in the US are very very overdue for the best Ford had to offer, and we've been DENIED this for several decades now!

This is why I have a dislike for Ford (Dearborn) while their German group was churning out great product after great product
(cars) we in the US got the [censored], while most of the rest of the world got the best, even third world countries.

I'm willing to forgive, and I have a LOT of admiration for Mr Mulally because he was the one that pushed to bring the best car products to the US as unaltered as possible, this has never happened before in the history of Ford in the US.
 
Originally Posted By: 91344George
...

This is why I have a dislike for Ford (Dearborn) while their German group was churning out great product after great product
(cars) we in the US got the [censored], while most of the rest of the world got the best, even third world countries.

I'm willing to forgive, and I have a LOT of admiration for Mr Mulally because he was the one that pushed to bring the best car products to the US as unaltered as possible, this has never happened before in the history of Ford in the US.


The original US version of the MK1 Capri was virtually unaltered from the German version save some rearranged turn signals and sidemarkers. US regulations later choked it out with emissions gear that were better at reducing power and driveability rather than reducing exhaust emissions. Later on the US variant got giant urethane 5 mph bumpers and kept it's sealed beam headlamps. US was still saying no to composite headlamps.
...and nobody bought it.
They bought the MustangII. MustangII years are some of the best selling years of the Mustang. Nobody bought the German Capri with the Cologne V6 but they would buy a MustangII labled "Mach 1" with a Cologne V6.

The US variant of the Mk1 Fiesta had the biggest engine of the European market...no doubt to help with the extra emission equipment, 5mph bumpers, and crash worthiness improvements. But it was mostly unmolested.
...and nobody bought it.
They bought the Dodge Omni/Plymouth Horizon which was an odd combination of French Simca with Volkswagen engine. But not the Fiesta.

The external body panels between the Euro market Escort and US market Escort were different. But the CVH engine and chassis components were designed to be shared
That thing sold well.
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(Was it really that much cheaper than the Civic?) Dearborn tweaks the Euro market car and sells.
 
I do like the looks, esp the Aston-ish grille.

the lack of the V6 Disappoints me in as much as that V6 is made here in my town. of course they use it in a lot of cars, but still.

not like they are shutting the plant down by any means, but want more work for my local folks!
 
Originally Posted By: Spazdog


The original US version of the MK1 Capri was virtually unaltered from the German version save some rearranged turn signals and sidemarkers. US regulations later choked it out with emissions gear that were better at reducing power and driveability rather than reducing exhaust emissions. Later on the US variant got giant urethane 5 mph bumpers and kept it's sealed beam headlamps. US was still saying no to composite headlamps.
...and nobody bought it.



Why offer this through the Lincoln Mercury stores????
They were trying to sell Fords best cars to grandpa? LOL
Also marketing...there was NONE to speak of.


Quote:

The US variant of the Mk1 Fiesta had the biggest engine of the European market...no doubt to help with the extra emission equipment, 5mph bumpers, and crash worthiness improvements. But it was mostly unmolested.
...and nobody bought it.


Actually plenty of people bought the Fiesta. It was a huge seller for the few years it was out, even with little marketing. Dearborn didn't like the fact that a little well built offering from Germany was making the US car division look horrible, so they insisted on building the HORRIFIC US Escort. It was [censored], but they marketed the [censored] out of it claiming that it was like the European version (not at ALL- almost no common parts) And yes people bought it because Dearborn marketed the heck out of it.. See a "trend" here?


Quote:

The external body panels between the Euro market Escort and US market Escort were different. But the CVH engine and chassis components were designed to be shared
That thing sold well.
21.gif
(Was it really that much cheaper than the Civic?) Dearborn tweaks the Euro market car and sells.


Even if those two items were shared that was all and the US version was likely built to a lower standard. The rest of the car was a literal piece of poop compared to the German Escort.

The only reason those vehicles you mentioned sold was because Dearborn marketed the heck out of them, while the other vehicles were almost invisible to the consumer..accident... No, an agenda.
 
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Originally Posted By: crinkles
lol. looks like a mondeo to me, with a flash grill stuck on


That's a good thing.
grin.gif




But IMHO the '13 Fusion makes the MKIV Mondeo look dated. Those Callum brothers are talented.
 
Originally Posted By: 91344George


Why offer this through the Lincoln Mercury stores????
They were trying to sell Fords best cars to grandpa? LOL
Also marketing...there was NONE to speak of...

Actually plenty of people bought the Fiesta. It was a huge seller for the few years it was out, even with little marketing. Dearborn didn't like the fact that a little well built offering from Germany was making the US car division look horrible, so they insisted on building the HORRIFIC US Escort. It was [censored], but they marketed the [censored] out of it claiming that it was like the European version (not at ALL- almost no common parts) And yes people bought it because Dearborn marketed the heck out of it.. See a "trend" here? ...




The Ford dealerships were already full of Pintos. The Mercury Bobcat wouldn't appear for several years. Lincoln/Mercury dealers had no small car option except maybe the Comet version of the Maverick.
And they did market them. Not as much as the ad nauseum "Mustang II - Boredom Zero" television ad, but it wasn't completely absent.
capri-ad1.jpg

I miss Rostyle wheels.

I think the problem with the MkI Fiesta was pricing. They weren't making much if anything on the German built Fiesta. I don't think the suits in Dearborn ever intended the Fiesta to be anything other than a stop-gap between the Pinto and the Escort so they didn't import very many that would have minimum profit. Shame too because it was about that time that Honda was becoming very popular and by the 1979 Oil Crisis people were waiting 5 months for their new Hondas priced over sticker. They completely missed the bus on that one. Would have negated the need for the Kia built version of the Mazda 121, the Festiva, years later if they had stuck with the Fiesta and left it as German as US regulations would allow

I agree completely about the Escort. They dumbed it down. Made it for what they thought American Consumers wanted. Still thinking like Iacocca. I'm suprised it didn't come with opera windows.
 
Originally Posted By: panthermike
Ben, I was referring to the wagon, is that a Europe Fusion?


It's the new Mondeo wagon that was posted on another '13 Fusion thread. I'm not sure on the particulars on it or if its the production version. I haven't found any official photos of the '13 Mondeo wagon.
 
I was doing some more research this week on the 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid. This is the first hybrid (at least for Ford) that will be completely belt less. The water pump, oil pump, and all accessories (a/c) will be driven electrically. I think this is amazing (and a bit scary). I've been following BMW who now runs a belt less oil pump and don't seem to be running into any problems. It seems like replacement would be much easier but also more expensive.

http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1071...troit-auto-show
 
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