Ford doesn’t want to sell you an old-fashioned three-box sedan anymore. But if you live in China, you end up with something vaguely like it called the Evos.
The Evos was disclosed yesterday at the Shanghai Auto Show, in addition to a few other China-only models (including a review of the Mentor – the name lives on!) Developed for China, the Evos will debut in China, and the Blue Oval has no plans to bring it to the US or Europe. But while we’re not going to get this particular elongated cutout in our neck of the woods, we still have to recognize the Evos as a taste of what’s to come. Because this is about as close to that abandoned body shape as Ford wants to go even more.
In profile, the Evos is the most crossover crossover I think I’ve ever seen, as it doesn’t fit neatly into any particular category. Although it shares a lot of clues with the Mustang Mach-Ethe Evos is not an electric vehicle, so it has longer front and rear overhangs with a more pronounced hood and a disproportionately short cab. Outwardly, the design does not appear to be particularly space-efficient, although it is somewhat difficult to judge from images.
If the Evos were lower and the hatch dropped, it would be a sedan. Conversely, if the roofline were to be extended a bit further before it fell away, it would be a wagon. But as it is, the Evos is neither here nor there, perfectly fitting for the crossover label. It’s “alternative rock” in automotive form.
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Ford says the Evos is the “first vehicle largely developed by a China-based team,” thanks to a new joint venture with China’s Changan Automobile. Like the Mach-E, it is built on Ford’s Fully Networked Vehicle E / E system, which provides wireless updates and BlueCruise Level 2 technology for hands-free driving on “pre-qualified sections of divided highways”. C-V2X vehicle-vehicle and vehicle infrastructure communication is also included, which will be especially crucial in promoting autonomy in China’s urban centers.
The focus on technology continues to the inside with a huge slab of glass that spans two displays, consisting of a 12.3-inch panel for the digital instrument cluster and a 27-inch 4K touchscreen for everything else. They are separated by a border, but the overall effect is reminiscent of the end-to-end display Byton would offer in his cars. (And maybe – has anyone heard from Byton lately?)
Ford says this infotainment system, based on Sync + 2.0, leverages Baidu’s work on artificial intelligence and benefits from a partnership between the two who have been years in the making. Reading between the lines, it’s clear that the Evos is the product of many partnerships with Chinese manufacturing and technology companies, designed exclusively to capitalize on that market. It’s No surprise that the car is not destined for the West.
That said, don’t be surprised if you see a Ford very similar to the Evos in your local showroom for years to come. Observations of what is said to be the upcoming Ford Mondeo in Europe suggests the sedan will be reincarnated as a crossover in its next life, and there are rumors that Ford may be doing the same with the Fusion in North America. Welcome to the sedan of the future.