New 2021 Ford Evos SUV unveiled at Shanghai Motor Show

This is the new Ford Evos; the brand’s centre-piece for this year’s Shanghai Motor Show and a new SUV for the Chinese market, built in partnership with Changan Automobile - one of China’s state-owned car manufacturers.

Ford says the Evos has been specifically designed to meet the needs of the Chinese market and features all the technology that’s valued by the region’s drivers, including a seamless instrument and infotainment panel with the appearance of a 1.1-metre screen, and an AI assistant, the latter of which has been popularised by domestic manufacturers such as NIO.

Previously believed to be a potential replacement for the Mondeo, Ford has since swung the axe on its stalwart family car. There is no official word on whether the Evos will make it to Europe - it’s a China only vehicle for now. 

When it goes on sale later this year, the Evos will form a key part of Ford’s assault on the Chinese market, joining a China-specific version of the Escort and Mustang Mach-E; the latter of which the brand hopes will allow it to “win the electric era” and tackle the growing Chinese electric car market.

New 2021 Ford Evos: design and interior

Ford says the Evos is the first model to use a new design language sharing the all-electric Mach-E’s slender LED headlamps, broad bumper intake and rakish roofline. Like the Mach-E, it’s clearly a sleeker and sportier alternative to the brand’s otherwise conventional SUV line-up

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Inside, it uses a 12.3-inch digital infotainment system and an enormous 27-inch 4K infotainment system, powered by the company’s latest Sync+ 2.0 software, which spans the width of the dashboard in one single housing. 

Ford has introduced specific displays for either side of the new screen, including a “co-driver mode” for the passenger. Passengers can use a variety of entertainment applications on their side of the screen, while drivers use navigation functions on their own side.

The SUV will also come with “hands-off” Level 2 autonomous driving capability, meaning the car will be able to assume control of its own steering, braking and acceleration on the motorway, providing the driver is ready to regain control when prompted.

New 2021 Ford Evos: platform and powertrain

Ford hasn’t yet confirmed what will power the Evos, but we’re not expecting it to be available with a pure-electric powertrain, at least not initially. Instead, Ford will forge ahead with hybrid and plug-in hybrid technology first.

If the Evos uses the same C2 platform as the Focus and the Kuga, it could host a full complement of petrol-hybrid powertrains, ranging from 48-volt mild-hybrid to plug-in hybrid power. That would also mean Ford could use the same 2.5-litre four-cylinder PHEV system found in the Kuga. 

However, given the vehicle has been co-developed with Changan Automotive and will be built by that automaker, it’s more likely to be sitting on a platform developed for the Chinese market, with as yet unknown specifications and limitations. 

Do you think the new Ford Evos would make a good replacement for the Mondeo in Europe? Let us know in the comments below…