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Ford Fusion is the next Mondeo with a twist of Aston Martin

Ford used its home-town motor show to debut its new Camry-fighting sedan, which is bristling with tech, not to mention a stylish pair of duds.

Derek Fung
Derek loves nothing more than punching a remote location into a GPS, queuing up some music and heading out on a long drive, so it's a good thing he's in charge of CNET Australia's Car Tech channel.
Derek Fung
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1 of 16 Derek Fung/CNET Australia

Alias

Ford used its home-town motor show to debut its new Camry-fighting sedan, which is bristling with tech, not to mention a stylish pair of duds.

In the Americas the car will wear the Fusion nameplate, but when it arrives in Australia (probably in 2013) and the rest of the world in a slightly tweaked form, it will be badged as the Mondeo.

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B-i-g

The new Fusion/Mondeo is Camry-size, albeit with more daring styling.

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More to come

Only one body style has been revealed so far — a sedan — but expect the car to spawn hatchback and wagon bodies when the Mondeo version is finally revealed. All up, the Fusion/Mondeo will serve as the basis for at least 10 different body styles.

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Smart casual

The interior is aesthetically an evolution of the current Mondeo, but with higher quality materials and presentation.

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T-t-t-touch me

The centre console features capacitive buttons for basic entertainment controls, as well as the climate control air conditioning.

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Easy does it

The large central touchscreen will feature, at least overseas, the revised and easier-to-use MyFord Touch system (seen here in the Ford Kuga SUV).

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Watch your head

Given its Camry-esque dimensions, leg and shoulder room should be plentiful, but heads mounted on taller frames may brush against the coupe-like roof arc.

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Pump up the jam

Ford's unveiling ceremony was held next door at the Joe Louis arena. Americans can choose from either three petrol engines, a regular petrol-electric hybrid and a plug-in hybrid. Expect diesel versions to appear in Mondeo-badged models.

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Shaken and stirred

Now that Ford no longer owns Aston Martin, it has no problems with its humble sedan borrowing a few visual cues from James Bond's preferred brand.

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Warning!

The Fusion/Mondeo's array of radar sensors are necessary for its blind-spot warning system and lane-departure warning system, which pulses the steering wheel if it detects unintended lane drift. There's also an automated reverse parking system, which is hopefully improved from the version used in the Ford Focus.

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Cone of silence

Hybrid and plug-in hybrid models have an active noise-cancellation system, similar to the ones found on some headphones, that cuts down on road and exterior noise, whilst highlighting more melodious engine notes.

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5555

A touch-sensitive code pad on the window frames adds an extra level of security, at least for American buyers.

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Spec it up

Other tech features include automatic engine stop-start for both diesel and petrol models, voice control and adaptive cruise control that can brake and maintain safe distance from the car in front.

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Charged up

In America, two economy-minded turbo petrol engines are offered: a 1.6-litre capable of 9.1L/100km in the city and 6.4L/100km on the highway, and a more powerful 2-litre version. All-wheel drive, as seen here, is unlikely for Australia.

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Combined motivation

The petrol-electric hybrid uses a 2-litre petrol engine in concert with electric motors to deliver fuel economy of at least 5L/100km in US testing. A plug-in version, badged Energi, should be capable of the equivalent of 100mpg or 2.35L/100km, as it's able to run for longer solely on electricity.

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Name change

When the Fusion transforms into the Mondeo, we can expect even more tech goodies. During Ford's presentation there was a blink-and-you'll-miss-it preview slide of the Mondeo featuring LED driving lights and xenon headlights.

Derek Fung travelled to the Detroit Motor Show as a guest of Ford.

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