The New Ford Mondeo

Ford Australia stopped selling the Ford Mondeo in 2000 as sales were not reaching expectations. In Europe, the Mondeo is one of the best selling cars on the road. A total of over four million Mondeo models have been built at the Genk plant (UK) since launch in 1993 with more than 1.5 million of those being sold in the UK.

Admit it, it looks good! Yes its a ford, but it still looks good!

“The exciting new Mondeo is very important to us”, said Roelant de Waard, Ford of Britain’s Chairman and Managing Director. “It’s probably the most elegant car we’ve ever launched, and it’s certainly the most technologically-advanced. Like the S-MAX, Car of the Year 2007, the new Mondeo will attract many new customers to our showrooms as well as delighting our loyal UK customer base,” he said.

The Mondeo drivers in the UK seems to carry the same stigma of camry drivers in Australia, that sort of Fridge on Wheels mentality. However, much like the new revised Camry, the new Mondeo is striking and is a new expression of Ford’s ‘kinetic design‘.

Standard equipment across the range includes

• Electronic Stability Programme (ESP),
• Ford Easyfuel capless refueling with fuel inhibitor to prevent misfuelling, This guards against either petrol or diesel misfuelling at the filling pump as the fuel filler neck aperture has been specifically designed around the different sizes of fuel nozzles. Ford has engineered its system only to allow the nozzle that matches the corresponding fuel type of the car to enter the filler neck.
• Thatcham Cat.
• alarm,
• air conditioning,
• ‘follow-me-home’ lights,
• trip computer
• MP3 connector socket.

Three distinct bodystyles are on offer

1. a classic four-door,
2. a five-door
3. Estate

For each body style, four distinct series are available:

1. the Edge, which provides a high level of standard equipment essential for business and family needs;
2. the contemporary Zetec series,
3. the Ghia
4. Titanium X models.

Advanced new driver-focused technologies are available, and include keyless entry and keyless start with “Ford Power” start button, new Ford “Convers+” Human Machine Interface (HMI) instrument display, Adaptive Cruise Control with Forward Alert, Interactive Vehicle Dynamics Control with Hill Launch Assist, and Tyre Pressure Monitoring System.

Engines:

• 1.8-litre Duratorq TDCi 100PS or 125PS diesel with 5-speed manual transmission. The 125PS version can also be specified with a 6-speed manual transmission.
• 2.0-litre Duratorq TDCi 140PS diesel with 6-speed manual transmission.
• 2.0-litre Duratorq TDCi 130ps diesel with a new Durashift 6-speed automatic transmission
• 1.6-litre Duratec Ti-VCT 110PS or 125PS petrol engines with 5-speed manual transmission.
• 2.0-litre Duratec HE 145PS petrol engine with Durashift 5-speed manual transmission.
• 2.3-litre Duratec HE 161PS 4-cylinder petrol engine with Durashift 6-speed automatic transmission.
• 2.5 litre Duratec 5-cylinder 220PS petrol engine with Durashift 6-speed manual transmission.

Don’t hold too much hope for the new Mondeo to make it to Australia – Ford are in some serious trouble as it is overseas with loses costing in the billions, but you never know!