Current Ford Mondeo will underpin the next Fusion

Since taking the reigns at FoMoCo, Alan Mulally has made it clear that one of the keys to Ford's resurgence is to leverage its assets abroad. Specifically, he wants to utilize the automaker's platform development in Europe to maximize engineering and manufacturing efficiency, creating several global models. While we're still waiting for Ford to ditch the old Focus platform for the Euro model's underpinnings, the next major implementation of Mulally's plan will come in the form of the next Ford Fusion, which will use the current Mondeo platform.

The CD3 platform, which is derived from the Mazda6 and underpins the Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, Lincoln MKZ, Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX, will be abandoned in favor of the Mondeo's EUCD platform and will be the foundation for Ford's global mid-size/CD-segment vehicle. Ford of Europe has been tasked with reworking the platform for the U.S., which has been internally dubbed CD4. Expect the Mondeo-based Fusion to arrive in the U.S. in 2012 for the 2013 model year.

[Source: Automotive News – Sub. Req.]