Ford Mondeo production delayed until mid-2013

By Tim Beissmann
July 12th, 2012

FIND DEALS

Production of the next-generation Ford Mondeo has reportedly been set back by up to three months, potentially delaying the launch of the blue oval’s new mid-sized sedan in Europe and Australia.

Industry journal Automotive News Europe reports that production of the new Mondeo was due to start on April 6, 2013 at the company’s Genk plant in Belgium but has since been postponed until closer to the middle of the year.

A Ford spokesman confirmed the delay, telling local media in Belgium the company was “working through various issues to ensure a robust, high quality launch”.

Ford Australia’s Sinead Phipps told CarAdvice the team in Genk is working hard to minimise any flow-on effect of the delay to overseas markets. Ford Australia is yet to lock down timing for the launch of the new Mondeo, which is expected to hit local showrooms in the second half of next year.

The all-new fifth-generation Ford Mondeo is still scheduled to make its world premiere at the 2012 Paris motor show in September. The new Mondeo will be almost identical to the second-generation Ford Fusion – the North American version of the car – which was unveiled at January’s 2012 Detroit motor show and goes on sale in the US in the coming months.

The 2013 Ford Mondeo is set to feature two four-cylinder EcoBoost petrol engines, including a 133kW/233Nm 1.6-litre and a 177kW/340Nm 2.0-litre (similar to that found in the Ford Falcon EcoBoost), as well as a four-cylinder diesel.

Automotive News Europe reports production in Genk is 16 per cent below its usual capacity as the current-generation Mondeo, S-Max and Galaxy near the end of their lifecycles.

Despite Australia’s medium-car segment growing 26.7 per cent so far in 2012, Mondeo sales are down 24.3 per cent, slipping from 3419 units to 2587 after the first six months of the year. The Mondeo has dropped to fourth in its class behind the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord Euro and the Mazda6 as its share of the market has fallen from 12.6 per cent to 7.5 per cent.

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Pauly

WHY! Ford Australia! WHY!

The Mondeo is a bloody great car, Where is the advertisements to get these cars to outsell the Euro and 6? Fair enough the Camry will be hard to beat with fleet sales, but you have such a good car sitting there and you are not doing anything to sell it.

The ad you have running for the Territory Diesel is cringe worthy with that chick telling us she can see all her Facebook friends on 1 tank…. WHO CARES!!! WHY DO I WANT TO BUY THIS CAR OVER THE NEXT CAR?

ITS NOT BLOODY HARD FORD! GETS SOME FRESH MEAT INTO YOUR MARKETING DEPARTMENT STAT!
- Legnab
  
  Delay means the old falcoon can soldier on for another year , wont help their sales at all with old models .
  - Smart Us
    
    like its Ford Oz responsible for the delay???
- Ricky
  
  Yep ford marketing guys pretty much suck…. A real shame $ for $ I think ford is the best motorcar company in the world they have some great products at reasonable prices
- Vins
  
  May be because they afraid this will outsell the Falcons?
- Phil
  
  Same old story, blame the marketing people…..
  
  The current Mondeo was released to Australia with a outdated engine. 118KW/208NM is not acceptable for thirsty 9.5L100km economy. With a porky 1527KGs in the lightest model and that low torque figure not being achieved untill a high 4200rpm you’re also likely to blow out the consumption figure anyway.
  The Diesel and Ecoboost cost too much extra over the base petrol. No manual gearbox for Australia as offered in 6 and Euro.
  - Housecat84
    
    Paul, The 2.3L Petrol doesn’t exist any more. Ford got rid of it for the exact reason you mentioned, fuel economy. Ecoboost 2.0 is now the base model, followed by Diesel. Research next time.
    Mazda Six still has a 2.5 with not much power or torque over the 2.3 Ford used.
    Mondeo is in it’s third refresh phase on this platform MA, MB, now MC..
    Expect the next model to blow the rest of the medium-large car class to the weeds. Ford got the Global Model right unlike GM.
    - Darryl
      
      Yes it certainly does exist in Australia. Have a look on Fords own website or another one that sells new cars that the moderator won’t let me mention. It’s the base LX model.
      - Housecat84
        
        Ha, so it does. Interesting that it wasn’t listed in the configurator when I checked. I stand corrected
- Smart Us
  
  Territory Diesel chick would not see all her friends on one tank… she’d stop by at my house and id friend her so much that should be take me anywhere i want… and the id friend her again and again… so she would need to refill after drained out
Rocket

Looks like an Aston at the front and a Jag from the rear. Falcon will struggle even more when this arrives.
- Blair Waldorf
  
  agreed, i have a feeling the new Mondeo will be the final nail in the Falcon’s coffin sales wise.
  - Henryz_44
    
    Also looks more american than european…
- Labrys
  
  Your spot on there.
  That’s exactly what it looks like.
  I was wondering why he design seemed familiar.
  It looks good though. It works well.
  Also where is all the people shouting at Ford for copying the design of other cars?You seem to get a lot of that on Hyundai and Kia articles.
- The Anonymous Antagonist
  
  You’re assuming of course that the Falcon is going to remain unchanged for the next few years…
Chest Rockwell

I was looking for a medium wagon, so II thought… Why not a Mondeo. Problem is if you want petrol you are stuck with the petrol guzzling 2.3. If only I could get an Ecoboost in the wagon. Result = No sale.

Ford release a new car and then offer old drive trains… Later in the model life they fix these issues, by then the model is old so not much chance of increasing sales. The Focus is a case in point.
CCD

Am not buying any mainstream cars with turbos or clunky DSGs.
- Golfschwein
  
  They’re mainstream right now. More cars are coming out with this stuff, not less.
- AG4
  
  Turbos have improved greatly over the decades and it looks like Ford will not put a PowerShift DSG on their 2.0 EcoBoost models.
Aus_poppa

This not a failure by Ford Australia – they have enough of their own – but is a delay in Mondeo production world wide. Nothing that Ford Oz can do about it. Hopefully they have organised early slots on the European production line when production gets underway.
ScottT

This will look great in V8 supercars…….
Amlohac

Thats one seriously good looking car, and this from someone who generally doesnt like much that Ford does.
Trying to like it

Ford has to launch it right this time, I looked at the Mondeo when I was car shopping 3 years ago and thought it was a huge fail. It was priced way too high before the price cuts, the styling didn’t appeal to me personally and the motor was a 2 generation old mazda motor from the 90s.
With more acceptable styling, a modern motor and competitive pricing ford could have a winner with private buyers. They could stop trying to flog off the diesel wagon as replacements for falcon fleet wagons before they destroy the resale.
Imagine how successfully hyundai could sell a car as good as the next mondeo could/may be.
- Darryl
  
  The Mondeo is still priced way too high. In the UK, if you compare it with the same engine and trim (say TDCi 163 Titanium X) as the Focus it is only 2000 pounds more, or less than 10%. It is being deliberately priced higher here so as not to swamp the Falcon, but the end result is that both are performing way below par sales wise.
XR6 Champ

The Falcon is a better Car ,I have driven the Mondeo at times when I have had my FG XR6 turbo service, the Falcon better looking, Control’s on the correct side and it made here for our Market. Ford Aust just needs to market the Falcon Proply ,where’s the Falcon EcoBoost & LPI Marketing and Stick The Diesel in it as well , Get the Marketing Right and the Falcon will be the number one seller in this Country again, Its a great Car ,Its Good to see the Terri Add’s at least there marketing it and it’s Now back selling in higher number like 2004 & 2005 number’s . The EcoBoost Falcon should be selling more than the Camry etc it uses as much fuel as a Mazda 3 , does the Market here Know this ”No” , Ford Aust tried to replace the Falcon wagon with the Mondeo Wagon and they lost business , Telstra are now running Commodore wagon Buckets , I know of a number of companies that went and purchase another brand’s because the Falcon wagon was dropped .
So all you Falcon Baggers go down to your local Ford dealer and take the falcon for a test drive , you will eat your words and may be the Falcon Bagging will stop and Market share will go through the roof and we can save a Aussie Icon.
DanielD

Never mind, the new Mazda 6 will be out by then.