Spy Shots: Ford Fusion's new face found
by John Neff on May 30th 2008 at 4:22PM 
Click above for high-res gallery for redesigned Ford Fusion spy shots
We've known for some time that the Ford Fusion was due for a mid-cycle refreshening soon, but new spy shots from KGP Photography reveal that more might be in store for Ford's successful mid-size family sedan. Previous spy shots have shown prototype Fusions wearing impenetrable front bras that completely obscured any design changes, but these new pics reveal what's been hiding underneath. This prototype features the current car's hood and "squircle" headlights, but sports a different grille style and front bumper. The Fusion's trademark three-bar grille looks like it will become more expressive in the next version, with the top bar bowed down slightly in the middle like a smile. We imagine the production version will have all three bars bowed to some degree, giving the Ford sedan a distinctly happy and swooped back face. The front bumper, meanwhile, reveals the shape of a new lower intake and two air intakes on each side that would house fog lamps. The most telling bit, however, is a character line we haven't seen before that appears to bend down from the front fender. This suggests that the entire front clip of the next Fusion will be all new, rather than just the mild refreshening we were expecting. Consider us intrigued and more than a bit curious at what the next Fusion, which may be a 2010 or 2011 model, will look like.
Gallery: Ford Fusion redesign - spy pics
[Source: KGP Photography]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
psu48187 4:28PM (5/30/2008)
Headlights don't appear to be final either. I did notice rear headrests, about time...
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psarhjinian 4:42PM (5/30/2008)
I was just going to say that; this has to be last sedan without decent rear headrests (the integrated ones are weak). That the Focus doesn't have them, either, is shameful.
Donald 11:43PM (5/30/2008)
Considering how bad the view is out the rear window for the Fusion, I can't say whether adding headrests is a good thing or not.
Still would like to see a wagon variant of this car, as the size of the sedan is appealing, and it would make the model stand out against the other offerings from Toyota, Honda, etc. for this segment.
psarhjinian 11:21PM (5/31/2008)
Shingle headrests go a long way to addressing the sightlines-versus-safety. They're also uncomfortable enough when down to coerce people into using them.
Will 4:30PM (5/30/2008)
There's a bit of the current Tribeca in that grille. Interesting.
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Torrent 3:57AM (5/31/2008)
Now it looks more like the Gillette Fusion. I'll wait for the final product, because I know this snap-on front clip isn't final.
bob d 4:33PM (5/30/2008)
Did the front grill melt under the heat or has some designer fallen in love with the movie "Cars"?
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John Johnson 4:33PM (5/30/2008)
I like the front character line. The front grille looks like it sat out in the sun too long and melted, I don't like that.
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psarhjinian 4:44PM (5/30/2008)
That's not the final grille, it's camouflage.
DJ 5:41PM (5/30/2008)
He's correct, this is camo. The real grille is similar to the Euro Ford Mondeo, the new Fiesta and the Verve.
YourNameHere 4:34PM (5/30/2008)
the character line on the fender is very similar to what they did on the 09 focus update. And also seems to be on alot of the European Fords.
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emazzoni 4:39PM (5/30/2008)
It defiantly looks like they are trying to incorporate some form of the kinetic design language into the car. The current car is by no mean ugly. The interior needs a lot of work, as well as the rear taillights.
Disgruntled Goat 4:59PM (5/30/2008)
Mother of god, is this some kind of joke? It's like they took drunken bets to see who could make it look even worse.
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MikeW 4:37PM (5/30/2008)
What kind of razor doesn't have parallel blades?
What kind of stuff is Ford pulling ;)
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Jim in Tampa 4:38PM (5/30/2008)
They need to fix that top cross bar so that it doesn't look like it melted!
And psu, I agree about the head restraints. Front and rear headrestraints are also important to me.
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geo.stewart 4:39PM (5/30/2008)
say it aint so. alan, say it aint so
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anti-believer 4:40PM (5/30/2008)
This isn't that dramatic.
This is how it should've looked when it debut years ago.
Ford is so behind.
GO HONDA!!!
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geo.stewart 5:39PM (5/30/2008)
bugger off mate
Juan 6:00PM (5/30/2008)
@ anti-believer
While I may agree that Ford may be a little behind in the midsize sedan class, I don't agree that this is how the Fusion should've been from day one. Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe that the Fusion has one of the freshest designs in the midsize class_right_now. The only cars that can even dream about having anything close to style in this class would be the Malibu, Altima, and Milan. Now if Ford could throw that 3.7L into the Fusion and give it a nicer interior, then they'd have something...
M 4:49PM (5/30/2008)
This isn't good. And to think that some were complimenting Ford on the designs of its cars in foreign markets compared to the designs of its domestic line. No, this isn't good at all(!).
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