When the first spy shots of the 2017 Ford Fusion surfaced online earlier this year, we have known that Ford is already working on a new entry to its mid-sized sedan series. Now, it looks like the American automaker already has the finished product in store as an alleged photo for the updated Fusion was spotted in a slideshow presented during a corporate event.

The spy photos of the 2017 Ford Fusion we have seen in April showed the vehicle covered in camouflage. In contrast, this new picture portrays the upcoming model completely disguise-free. It is a low-resolution, pixelated image, however, as it is only been cropped from a Ford corporate PowerPoint presentation shown during the J.P. Morgan Auto Conference.

The photo has been spotted by an eagle-eyed AutoBlog reader who tipped the site about its existence. Those who want to see the photo of the next-gen Fusion, pictured above, can check it out on slide number 9 of the document focusing on the company's "One Ford" strategy.

Even though Ford has not confirmed the authenticity of the image, we have little doubt that it an an actual render of the new model considering that the said presentation is uploaded on Ford's official corporate website.

Despite being a low-res image, we can still see that the model will slightly be different from its predecessor. It features a wider front grille which is more slender than the one found on the current model. The swept-back headlights appear to sport a revised shape fitted with LEDs similar to the 2015 Ford Edge.

The lower corners of the car's bumpers are modified with more angular blades. This 2017 Ford Fusion render also features a new wheel design to accentuate its restructured façade.

Judging from the photo, it seems that the 2017 model's side profile remain unchanged. While we have no idea on how its behind will look like, we can expect minor modifications to the taillights as well as an altered rear bumper.

As for the 2017 Ford Fusion's interior, some automobile observers predict that the company will furnish it with the new Sync 3 Infotainment system.

As of the moment, it is not known when the automaker will debut its facelifted Fusion. But folks at WorldCarFans.com thinks that Ford might reveal the new model on January next year during the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan.

When 2017 Ford Fusion finally becomes available, it is expected to compete with other upcoming vehicles such as the recently updated 2016 Chevrolet Malibu and the 2016 Honda Accord.