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WORKING MON
Ford’s Mondeo has long been a firm favourite with business users but can the latest model meet the growing challenges of the modern fleet market? Steve Walker reports

For the lucky employees that get to make it, the decision over which company car to choose is a big one. The boxes you tick on the selection form will define your place in the business world, demarking your allotted position on the rat race starting grid for the next few years. It’s not a call you want to get wrong.

This is the market where Ford Mondeos have traditionally flourished. Along with fellow medium range stalwarts like Vauxhall’s Vectra and Volkswagen’s Passat, it has been the darling of fleet managers and browbeaten sales reps for more than a decade. Competition, though, has never been stiffer. Prestige brands are turning the heads of the Mondeo’s core market with lustrous premium hatchbacks and lower-end compact executive models. There’s also the growing band of compact 4x4 models to consider and all the time, the taxation burden is prompting more people to take the cash allowance and buy their vehicles privately. So where does all this leave the latest Mondeo? Is its traditional blend of qualities still relevant enough to maintain its position as a fleet sector favourite? Given the importance of the company car as a status symbol, it’s hardly surprising that the prestige brands are enjoying increasing success in the fleet sector. When faced with the choice of a bog standard 3-Series or a well-specified Mondeo, there’s a definite tendency amongst corporate climbers to go German. But are they making the right choice? Cost is king in most company car selection decisions. The 2.5T Mondeo variant we’ve been testing comes in at nearly £24,000 which puts it dangerously close to some decent compact executive metal. The car is fully-loaded, however, with Titanium X trim and a 217bhp 2.5-litre turbocharged engine that is never going to be popular choice amongst fleet customers. The engines that are far more likely to appear on the radar of company car buyers are the economical 1.8 and 2.0-litre TDCI diesels. Priced predominantly in the £16,500 to £21,000 bracket, these Mondeos are at a level that will only get you into the reediest petrol-engined 3-Series. They’re also well-equipped to help company car users circumvent the chancellor’s best efforts to get his hands on their cash.

"Cost is king in most company car selection decisions"

The entry-level diesel is a 98bhp unit but at motorway speeds it feels like its working hard. The 123bhp 1.8 is much better for big mileages, adequately powerful and reasonably composed when cruising. It will return 48.7mpg which is only 1mpg down on the 98bhp unit and CO2 emissions of 154g/km aren’t half bad. The 2.0-litre TDCI is better still. 138bhp gives this car a muscular turn of speed for overtaking and firing up those motorway on ramps. The hefty torque delivery gives an effortless quality to the driving experience and with 47.9mpg possible, there’s no great penalty at the pumps. The CO2 emissions rating is low as well, at 156g/km. In terms of running costs, there isn’t a huge difference between the diesel Mondeos but the performance benefit of the bigger engines does make itself felt. The message is go for the most powerful TDCI you can afford. The latest Mondeo has impressed us consistently. It’s a car that edges extremely close to the best compact executive models in terms of interior ambience and build quality while setting new standards for its medium range contemporaries. Some doubts have been expressed over the excessive use of aluminium-effect plastic on the centre console of our Titanium X test vehicle but the slick control interfaces and the general solidity of the construction are real eye-openers. The boot is enormous. Press the release and the tailgate of our hatchback model yawns open to leave you teetering on the precipice of a veritable pit of practicality. Family holidays, business trips or the weekend DIY blitz - the Mondeo will accommodate more stuff than you’d credit in any number of situations. When it is time to load up and run for the sun, there should be little complaint from back seat passengers either, with exemplary head and legroom right across the rear bench. The downside of all this space on the inside is that the Mondeo is a seriously big car outside, bigger than the old Ford Scorpio executive saloon. It feels substantial and extremely solid on the road but the sheer size becomes a real issue in tight situations and when parking. Get the Mondeo out in the open and all this is forgotten. It shines brighter than any other medium range offering whether you’re attaching a set of sweeping bends or a marathon motorway trip. The suspension is extremely well judged, giving the firmness and control you want for spirited driving but without crossing over into the harshness that makes mundane trips a chore. The car is a pleasure to use on longer journeys where wind and road noise are never intrusive and the engine idles away meekly in the background until called upon to deliver the goods. This Mondeo is a very different proposition to the iterations that have gone before. The squeeze has been put on the medium range sector from all sides and the usual low cost, low quality repmobile recipe is no longer good enough to secure sales from fleet or private buyers. The Mondeo upped its game and the results are genuinely impressive. There will be company car buyers who simply must have the car park cachet of a German badge on their bonnets but the amount of Mondeo you get for the same money makes the Ford a highly tempting option for free-thinking buyers. The gap from medium range to compact executive metal has never looked smaller.

FACTS AT A GLANCE CAR: Ford Mondeo 2.5T Titanium X PRICE: £23,945 – on the road INSURANCE GROUP: 14 CO2 EMISSIONS: 222g/km PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 7.3s / Max Speed 152mph FUEL CONSUMPTION: (urban) 20.8mpg / (extra urban) 41.5mpg / (combined) 30.4mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front & side airbags, twin airbag curtains, ABS WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Heightmm 4778/2078/1500mm WHO TO SEE:

SUITED AND BOOTED
Ford won’t sell too many four-door Mondeos in the UK. That doesn’t stop it being worth looking at though. Jonathan Crouch reports

Ford built its reputation in Britain on building medium range family saloons. Remember the Cortina? It’s pretty rare to see one now though. Four-door versions of the company’s current offering, the latest Mondeo, are rare indeed.

Still, the company has to develop a three-box version of this class-leading car. Sales in Southern European markets like Spain are mainly centred around it. Which means that British buyers continue to get the saloon option. It costs the same as the comparable hatch and in some ways looks sharper. It’s also more versatile than you might think, offering 535 litres of bootspace, a figure that rises to 1,448 litres with the 60/40 split-folding rear seats down. Otherwise, the recipe, as you would expect, is almost exactly the same as the five-door hatchback version. I say almost because, for some reason best known to Ford’s marketeers, buyers of the top-specification Titanium and Titanium X variants don’t get the option of the 145PS 2.0-litre petrol engine you’ll find in comparable models using the hatchback bodyshape. You can have this unit in the saloon if you’re prepared to compromise on kit and go for a Ghia, Zetec or Edge variant however. At the other end of the saloon range, another difference is the absence of the 110PS 1.6i Duratec entry-level engine that you’ll find in the most basic Hatch variant. Ford believe (rightly based on sales data) that four-door buyers don’t really go for stripped-out entry-level models. It does however, mean that unlike the five-door, you can’t have a Mondeo saloon at under the significant £15,000 price point (according to list prices anyway). Saloon prices start at £15,695 for the 125PS 1.6-litre ‘Edge’ version, the same as you’ll pay for the equivalent 125PS Hatch variant. Diesel buyers also lose the entry-level Mondeo-designated engine, in this case the 100PS 1.8 Duratorq TDCi unit that powers base diesel versions of the Hatch. Instead, the entry point to diesel-powered four-door Mondeo motoring is provided by the same engine in 125PS guise. Again, this means that you’ll need to be a little careful in comparing bodyshapes with your budget and that diesel four-door Mondeo motoring prices start a little higher at £16,795.

"It’s more versatile than you might think, offering 535 litres of bootspace …."

No Mondeo these days could really be described as ‘stripped-out’. Even in basic ‘Edge’ trim, buyers get air-conditioning, cruise control, a leather steering wheel, a CD stereo with an MP3 connection socket, seven air-bags, ABS with Electronic Brake Assist (EBA), power front windows, remote central locking, a quick clear heated front windscreen, plus power and heated door mirrors. Other features include Ford’s Electronic Stability Program (ESP), a Thatcham Category 1 Alarm, ISOFIX child-seat fixings, steering wheel controls for the key vehicles technologies, a driver's knee airbag, 'follow me home' lighting and a feature unique to Ford – Easyfuel. This prevents drivers putting petrol into a diesel powered car or vice-versa. It is estimated this accidental mis-fueling affects over 150,000 UK drivers every year. Zetec trim is what most buyers will opt for, recognizable by 16-inch alloys and front foglights. Prices range from £16,695 for the 1.6-litre 125PS variant to £19,495 for the 2.0-litre TDCi 130PS variant. Next up are the largely identically priced Ghia and Titanium trims. With the Ghia, you get larger alloys, automatic headlights and rain-sensing wipers, power fold door mirrors, a Sony stereo with six CD in-dash auto-changer. The Titanium gives you a more luxurious feel with brushed metal interior trim, a different wheel design and sports front seats. At the top of the range, the Titanium X series aims to emphasise modern technology with a ‘contemporary’ interior further and costs from £21,245 for the 1.8-litre TDCi 125PS. There’s a big degree of carry-over of engines with the entry-level powerplant being the 125PS 1.6-litre petrol Duratec engine we mentioned earlier and the range-topper being the 2.5-litre turbocharged 222bhp unit that’s seen in vehicles like the S-MAX and the Focus ST. Diesel engine provision is decent as well, with the aforementioned 125PS 1.8-litre Duratorq TDCi unit marking the first point of entry and the well-proven 2.0-litre Duratorq (in 130 and 140PS guises) also set to mop up a big percentage of Mondeo sales. When I first saw this Mondeo, I was struck with an intense feeling of déjà vu. The reason was quite simple. I’d driven to work that day in a Ford S-MAX MPV and the Mondeo’s interior, its detailing, its exterior proportioning and most of its mechanicals are shared with that vehicle. Anybody who’s driven an S-MAX will attest to the fact that this is no bad thing. Take a seat inside the car and you’ll notice high quality surfaces, materials and finishes. As with the outside, dynamic lines and styling curves are again evident, plus the low profile instrument panel provides very generous cabin space for front seat occupants. The flow-through centre console allows the gear shifter to be located high and within easy ergonomic reach of the driver. The design team has also paid great attention to interior detailing, and examples of this include new generation infotainment systems, plus the next generation of Ford's Human Machine Interface (HMI). This easy to use system features the same steering-wheel toggle switches seen on new Galaxy and S-MAX, but introduces the availability of a large central LCD screen with full colour graphics situated between the main analogue instruments in front of the driver. Rear seat headroom and legroom have also come in for scrutiny by the Mondeo development team and these have been maximized for occupant comfort and safety. The saloon bodyshape will account for only a tiny proportion of UK sales but that doesn’t stop it being worth looking at if you don’t need to convenience of a Hatch or simply because you want to be different. In fact, kit your four-door up carefully from the Ford options catalogue and it can actually look quite menacing. Suited and booted, as they say.

 FACTS AT A GLANCE CAR: Ford Mondeo 4dr range PRICES: £15,695-£22,945 – on the road INSURANCE GROUPS: 7-14 CO2 EMISSIONS: 156-222g/km PERFORMANCE: [TDCi130] 0-60mph 10.9s / Max Speed 124mph FUEL CONSUMPTION: [TDCi130] (urban) 34mpg / (extra urban) 55mpg / (combined) 46mpg [est] STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front & side airbags, twin airbag curtains, ABS [est] WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: [5dr] Length/Width/Heightmm 4778/2078/1500mm WHO TO SEE:

ESTATEMENT OF INTENT
Like the Ford Mondeo but need more luggage capacity? Say hello to the Mondeo Estate. Steve Walker reports

Given the choice, I’d take the estate version every time. Actually, let’s qualify that a little. There’s always the odd rogue monstrosity that people use to beat you over the head with after this kind of sweeping statement so let’s say that where one is offered, I prefer the estate versions of most modern cars. The bigger boot obviously helps but a saloon or hatch will often look better in estate form. It’s the visual lengthening and lowering of the car’s silhouette by the flat roofline that tends to tip the balance and Ford’s Mondeo Estate is prime example of the estate effect in action.

Aesthetically, if not in terms of sales, the estate has benefited greatly from the proliferation of MPVs. With these bluff, boxy people-movers becoming the staple choice of family buyers looking for ultimate space and practicality, the modern estate as been freed to grow sleeker and more thrusting in appearance. Now more likely to be titled sport wagon or sport tourer rather than plain old estate, these vehicles tend to deliver a more cohesive design proposition than before. They’re also less commonplace on the roads and you get the extra practicality of that bulked-out load area in the rear to boot. The Mondeo Estate is available with the full range of engine options meaning the entry-level choice is a 108bhp 1.6-litre petrol engine which is alternatively available in 123bhp form. The 2.0-litre 143bhp unit comes next, then there’s the 159bhp 2.3-litre option and the range-topping 2.5-litre 217bhp five-cylinder turbo unit. This most powerful petrol option has real character and pace, capable of 0-60mph in 7.5s whereas the refined entry-level choice takes 12.6s to do the same. Diesel customers get either 1.8 or 2.0-litres but the 1.8-litre is offered in 98bhp or 123bhp form while the 2.0-litre comes with either 128bhp and a 6-speed automatic gearbox or 138bhp and a 6-speed manual. The automatic option is also available with the 2.3-litre petrol. The most powerful diesel takes 9.6s to go from 0-60mph and the entry-level model takes 12.4s. Around 70% of all Mondeos sold will be diesels.

"The Mondeo chassis is one of the finest in the sector"

Ford really has got the dynamics of the latest Mondeo well sorted. Some have bemoaned the loss of a little directness from the steering and feedback from the wheels but most Mondeo buyers will be delighted to pay that price for its exemplary comfort and low noise levels when cruising. Besides, it’s still just about the best handling car in the medium range sector, standing comparison with the top offerings from the compact executive class above. The suspension can clunk over potholes and drain covers when you’re pressing on down your favourite B-road but it’s beautifully balanced as it carves through corners and can be genuinely enjoyable on any road. The estate is available with self-levelling suspension at the rear to help it cope with big cargos and the lift back bodystyle actually has almost 160% more tensional rigidity than the its predecessor, which accounts in part for that polished driving experience. At 4.8m long and nearly 1.9m wide, the Mondeo Estate is a big car and the impression of size stays with you whether you’re in the back seat, at the wheel or standing outside looking at the thing. Most buyers will be attracted by these capacious dimensions rather than the Mondeo Estate’s elegant lines and with a massive 542 litres available in the boot, who can blame them? Fold down the 60/40 split rear bench and that capacity more than trebles to 1,733 litres. That’s one big boot and its usefulness is enhanced by tie-down points in the floor and fixing hooks for a luggage net. There’s also a 12v power supply in the rear for charging your appliances and the Estate comes with a full length load cover to shield the car’s contents from prying eyes. The design team has also paid great attention to interior detailing, and examples of this include new generation infotainment systems, plus the next generation of Ford's Human Machine Interface (HMI). This easy to use system features the same steering-wheel toggle switches seen on new Galaxy and S-MAX, but introduces the availability of a large central LCD screen with full colour graphics situated between the main analogue instruments in front of the driver. Rear seat headroom and legroom have also come in for scrutiny by the Mondeo development team and these have been maximized for occupant comfort and safety. Trim levels run from Edge through Zetec and Ghia to the Titanium and Titanium X. The estate bodystyle is priced at £1,250 more than the identically valued saloon and hatch which puts the entry-level 89bhp 1.6-litre Edge model at £16,245 and the flagship 2.5T Titanium X at £24,195. Even the bog standard car benefits from air-conditioning, cruise control, a CD stereo, a trip computer, the Quickclear heated windscreen and a leather steering wheel. Meanwhile, all Mondeos also get the handy FordEasyFuel filler cap that does without the filler cap and prevents you from putting the wrong fuel in the car. Safety provision includes ESP stability control and the Intelligent Protection System that includes a front side and curtain airbags plus a driver’s knee bag. One of the main criticisms that’s been levelled at each iteration of Ford’s Mondeo down the years is that everybody’s got one. Ford’s medium ranger has constantly commanded a place in the UK’s top 10 selling cars since 1993. Close to 1.2m cars have been sold over that time and around 70% of those have gone to fleet customers. It’s not surprising that the nation’s road network at rush hour has sometimes resembled a Mondeo-only car park. The car has always been pretty good too, placing buyers in a difficult quandary. Do you join the Mondeo meritocracy or go for something that another three people in your street haven’t already got? One way out of this is to look at the estate version. Only 24% of latest shape Mondeos are predicted to be estates, so this could be a great way to cash in on its benefits while retaining an element of exclusivity. Depreciation is always a big issue for private buyers in the medium range sector and despite benchmarking cars from the compact executive sector during its development, the Ford will hang onto its value significantly less effectively than a BMW or Mercedes. In order to keep everyday running costs down, 70% of buyers will gravitate towards the diesel engines. The 98bhp option is the most economical on the combined cycle, averaging 48.7mpg, but there’s little penalty even for choosing the 143bhp range-topper with its 47.9mpg returns. All the diesels emit between 154 and 156g/km of CO2 so there’s not much to split them here either. The 2.5T petrol engine is predictably thirsty with its 30.4mpg average and 222g/km CO2 emissions which won’t win it many friends in the fleet fraternity. The most fuel-efficient of the Mondeos on unleaded is the 39.2mpg 108bhp 1.6-litre option. The Mondeo Estate is only around 20kg heavier than the hatch or the saloon, which is actually the longest model in the range, and there’s no discernable fuel economy or emissions penalty for choosing it. The Ford Mondeo Estate capitalises on the spacious interior and striking looks of the standard car with additional load space and more elegant styling. The Mondeo chassis is one of the finest in the sector, build quality is very impressive and Ford have even managed to keep the pricing reasonable. The recent growth in popularity of MPVs and 4x4s amongst family buyers may have stolen some of the estate car’s thunder. The concept might be a little unfashionable but this is still about as good as medium range estates get. The long, low estate shape is never going to be as practical for families as an MPV but buyers seeking a great-handling good-looking car with some extra versatility contained within its interior will appreciate the Mondeo Estate. Most Ford Mondeo buyers will still opt for the five-door hatch bodystyle but this may serve as an extra benefit to those shrewd enough to pick the liftback, the rarer estate shape bestowing a little extra exclusivity onto one of the UK’s most popular cars.  

FACTS AT A GLANCE CAR: Ford Mondeo Estate range PRICES: £16,245-£24,195 – on the road INSURANCE GROUPS: 7-14 CO2 EMISSIONS: 156-222g/km PERFORMANCE: [TDCi140] 0-60mph 9.3s / Max Speed 130mph FUEL CONSUMPTION: [TDCi140] (urban) 37.2mpg / (extra urban) 57.6mpg / (combined) 47.9mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front & side airbags, twin airbag curtains, ABS, ESP WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Heightmm 4830/2078/1512mm WHO TO SEE:

TOO GOOD FOR MONDEO MAN?
The Mondeo used to be the car for the common man. Looks like common man is getting ideas above his station. Andy Enright reports on the 1.6-litre petrol-engined models

It’s rare that a new car gets a virtually unblemished scorecard but the latest Mondeo 1.6-litre gets within a squeak of exactly that. Roomier, more handsome, better built and packed with features, the Mondeo has left its rather proletarian roots behind and absorbed some genuinely premium look and feel. The best bit? The prices haven’t marched upmarket with it.

You must remember Mondeo Man. He was the everyman, the no-nonsense bloke who brought Labour a landslide in ’97 and who represented the honest grafter just trying to get ahead. These days you don’t see too much of him. Perhaps it’s because graduates are now working behind the counters in Nandos whereas plumbers and plasterers now hanker after BMWs and Audis that the false promise of ‘education, education, education’ rather dropped the bottom out of the Mondeo man’s core market. Ford’s response wasn’t predictable. Rather than stick to what it’s been doing well for years, the Mondeo has attempted to shin up the greasy pole a bit, offering the sort of tactility and soft touch, silicon-damped, deep pile quality we’ve come to expect from the premium brands. Even James Bond took a turn behind the wheel. Ford showed with the GT sports car that the Blue Oval badge was no impediment when a brilliant product was on offer. Now it’s the Mondeo’s turn to follow suit. It helps to do a soft reboot and try to forget what you knew about the old Mondeo when it comes to driving the latest car. Not because it’s worse; merely because it’s very different. Throw it at a corner and expect that same pointy front end, the detailed feedback through the wheel and the sporty lack of body roll and you’ll wonder where the progress has gone. Instead everything feels polished, buffed to a sheen with glassy steering responses and a ride that’s wrapped in cotton wool. It’s not wholly sporty but, if anything, the absolute levels of grip and go are better than before. It’s when you’re not trying to corner the Mondeo on its door mirrors that it all feels so sublime.

"Refinement is massively superior to the old car…."

Refinement is massively superior to the old car and even the base 1.6-litre car has ride quality that shames an Audi A4. Two engines are available, both four-cylinder 16-valve Ti-VCT units fronting up either 109bhp or 124bhp, depending on how deep your pockets are. Once you learn to trust the front end, handling is excellent with a very clever ESP stability control system. Given the car’s roadholding levels, the wide front seats lack a little in terms of lateral support. Take a seat inside the car and you’ll notice high quality surfaces, materials and finishes. As with the outside, dynamic lines and styling curves are again evident, plus the low profile instrument panel provides very generous cabin space for front seat occupants. The dashboard is clear and the major controls for the electronics systems largely intuitive although the wood veneer finishes fitted to the Ghia models will have anybody under the age of 50 recoiling in horror. The design team has also paid great attention to interior detailing, and examples of this include new generation infotainment systems, plus the next generation of Ford's Human Machine Interface (HMI). This easy to use system features the same steering-wheel toggle switches seen on new Galaxy and S-MAX, but introduces the availability of a large central LCD screen with full colour graphics situated between the main analogue instruments in front of the driver. Rear seat headroom and legroom have also come in for scrutiny by the Mondeo development team and these have been maximized for occupant comfort and safety. I’m 6’4" and I was easily able to fit comfortably in the back seat behind a front seat virtually all the way back on its runner. Ford’s old ‘pile ‘em high and sell ‘em cheap’ tactic has been replaced with a more responsible approach that safeguards residual values. Whereas the old car was initially offered at a relatively high price but with plenty of scope for negotiation, this time round Ford has slashed list prices by £300 or so model for model but wants to keep a cap on discounting. The company also wants to avoid sullying the car’s image by selling thousands to operators like hire car companies. The 1.6-litre range does without the ritzy Ghia and Titanium trim levels, the line up consisting of just two trim levels, Edge and Zetec, appealing respectively in terms of value and a modicum of sportiness. As you’d expect, all the usual features are in place. Even the basic Edge variant gets air-conditioning, cruise control, a leather steering wheel, a CD stereo with an MP3 connection socket, seven air-bags, ABS with Electronic Brake Assist (EBA), power front windows, remote central locking, a quick clear heated front windscreen, plus power and heated door mirrors. Zetec trim is recognizable by 16-inch alloys and front fog lights. Prices start at £15,495 for the entry-level five-door hatch ranging up to £17,945 for a 124bhp Zetec estate. You wouldn’t expect a 1.6-litre Ford Mondeo to cost serious money to keep on the road and so it proves. For those not covering big mileages, this may well be the model to go for, especially with the more powerful of the two engines putting up a better battle against the Mondeo’s bulk. Residual values look to be standing up very well with initial estimates around ten percentage points better than the outgoing car. Compared to cars like the Mazda6, the Peugeot 407 and the Renault Laguna, these are extremely strong indeed. Only the Honda Accord really gets close in terms of mainstream brands. Fuel economy figures are fairly decent but it’s worth reiterating that once fully loaded, the 1.6-litre engines will struggle. Both feature the same 160Nm torque figure which is a fair bit less than the 295Nm of the entry-level 1.8-litre diesel model so if you’re planning o some heavy haulage best to go for a Mondeo that drinks from the black rather than the green pump. Emissions are within sensible scope of business car user choosers too and Ford estimates the hatchback body style will account for 70 per cent of those sales, the remaining 30 per cent split between the four-door saloon and the five-door estate. The latest Mondeo could so easily have landed Ford with a whole chicken coop of egg on its face. The worst case scenario would have been a Mondeo that was overstretching itself; trying to be something that it palpably was not. Were the pretence gossamer thin, that would undoubtedly have been the case. But it’s not. There’s proper depth of engineering in the latest Mondeo and the ability to see eye to eye with cars nominally viewed as above the Ford’s station. Both engines have something to be said for them, but the higher power unit gets the nod due to the fact that you won’t have to pedal it quite so hard to get the job done and fuel economy is therefore not markedly worse. There will probably be a small lag before public perception of this car catches up to the reality but the smarty money is already hitting the sales desks in Ford dealers up and down the country. Perhaps education, education, education had some lasting legacy after all.

FACTS AT A GLANCE CAR: Ford Mondeo 1.6-litre Ti-VCT range PRICES: £15,695-£17,945 - on the road INSURANCE GROUPS: 9-11 [est] CO2 EMISSIONS: 175-182g/km [est] PERFORMANCE: [1.6 Ti VCT 124bhp] 0-60mph 9.9s / Max Speed 125mph [est] FUEL CONSUMPTION: [1.6 Ti VCT 124bhp] (combined) 37.5mpg [est] STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front, side and driver’s knee airbags, ESP stability control, ABS with electronic brake assist WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: length/width/height 4778/2078/1500mm

WORLDS APART
Ford has decided that the best way to face down the assault from the premium manufacturers is to endow the Mondeo with equivalent quality. Andy Enright reports on the TDCi diesel models

Bigger, better looking, more refined and hugely improved in terms of perceived quality, this generation Ford Mondeo has stepped upmarket but kept prices low. The diesels are the most attractive engines and even if it is no longer the sharpest drive in the sector, it’s certainly the best all-round offering.

It speaks volumes about the enormous step change that this car represents that Ford was seriously considering calling it something other than Mondeo. Drive one and it’s easy to see why. This generation car has very little in common with its predecessor. Where the old car majored on being sharp to drive and in offering a reasonable quality of finish, this generation Mondeo has become bigger and plusher. This is understandable given that the premium brands have all but decimated the traditional family saloon, hatch and estate markets. Why not beat them at their own game? Jump in and expect the same dynamics as the old Mondeo and it’s possible you could come away disappointed. The front end of the car never feels quite so ‘pointy’ and you’ll always feel that there’s a lot of car around you. Four diesel engines are offered. There are 1.8-litre 100bhp and 125bhp entry-level units and then a pair of 2.0-litre Duratorq powerplants in either 130 or 140bhp guises. All three are carried over and mildly modified from either the old Mondeo or Focus line ups but the massive improvements in refinement make these diesel models feel completely different to the old car.

"…this generation Mondeo has become bigger and plusher"

The Mondeo feels a quality product. The slick steering, the weighting of the pedals and gearchange and the excellent damping are reminiscent of Lexus rather than Ford. Minus points would include rather poor visibility due to the chunky pillars and some terrible reflections in the rear window caused by the air conditioning vents in the four-door car. Performance from the 2.0-litre TDCi 140 engine I tried was certainly enough to dispatch dawdling traffic, the hatchback version recording a sprint to 60mph in just 9.3 seconds and a top speed of 130mph. Once you learn to trust the front end, handling is excellent with a very clever ESP stability control system. Given the car’s roadholding levels, the wide front seats lack a little in terms of lateral support. Take a seat inside the car and you’ll notice high quality surfaces, materials and finishes. As with the outside, dynamic lines and styling curves are again evident, plus the low profile instrument panel provides very generous cabin space for front seat occupants. The dashboard is clear and the major controls for the electronics systems largely intuitive although the wood veneer finishes fitted to the Ghia models will have anybody under the age of 50 recoiling in horror. The design team has also paid great attention to interior detailing, and examples of this include new generation infotainment systems, plus the next generation of Ford's Human Machine Interface (HMI). This easy to use system features the same steering-wheel toggle switches seen on new Galaxy and S-MAX, but introduces the availability of a large central LCD screen with full colour graphics situated between the main analogue instruments in front of the driver. Rear seat headroom and legroom have also come in for scrutiny by the Mondeo development team and these have been maximized for occupant comfort and safety. I’m 6’4" and I was easily able to fit comfortably in the back seat behind a front seat virtually all the way back on its runner. The Galaxy and S-MAX tie-in isn’t coincidental as the Mondeo runs on the same chassis as these models and is built in the same factory. Ford is confident it can handle capacity issues and cites a flexible manufacturing process that can rapidly switch from model to model to meet demand. Just as Ford has changed the way the car is built, the way it drives and the way it feels, there are also some fundamental changes going on with the way the latest generation Mondeo is being sold. The old ‘pile ‘em high and sell ‘em cheap’ tactic has been replaced with a more responsible approach that safeguards residual values. Whereas the old car was initially offered at a relatively high price but with plenty of scope for negotiation, this time round Ford has slashed list prices by £300 or so model for model but wants to keep a cap on discounting. The company also wants to avoid sullying the car’s image by selling thousands to operators like hire car companies. The range consists of five trim levels, Edge, Zetec, Ghia, Titanium and Titanium X. As you’d expect, all the usual features are in place. Even the basic Edge variant gets air-conditioning, cruise control, a leather steering wheel, a CD stereo with an MP3 connection socket, seven air-bags, ABS with Electronic Brake Assist (EBA), power front windows, remote central locking, a quick clear heated front windscreen, plus power and heated door mirrors. Zetec trim is recognizable by 16-inch alloys and front fog lights. With the Ghia, you get larger alloys, automatic headlights and rain-sensing wipers, power fold door mirrors, a Sony stereo with six CD in-dash auto-changer. The Titanium gives a more luxurious feel with brushed metal interior trim, a different wheel design and sports front seats. At the top of the range, the Titanium X series aims to emphasise modern technology with a ‘contemporary’ interior further. Fuel economy is naturally very good, all three diesels getting figures that belie the car’s Scorpio-like dimensions. The claimed economy for the 2.0-litre TDCi 140 I drove is 47.9mpg and even on a hilly test route, the car was averaging more than 40mpg. Given that some manufacturer economy claims seem outlandish in the extreme, this is very good going. Emissions are within sensible scope of business car user choosers too and Ford estimates that fully 70 per cent of all Mondeo sales will be accounted for by these three oil burners, with the hatchback in turn accounting for 70 per cent of those sales. The upshot of all this is that the Mondeo has shifted focus from something that the enthusiast would turn to first to a car with a rather fuzzier agenda. Who is the new Mondeo TDCi buyer? As much as Ford would want to scalp a few sales from the premium sector, it’s hard to see that happening, no matter how good this car is. After all the hard work, I suspect that sales will return to a similar fleet-biased situation. Photocopier salesmen the length and breadth of the country have cause for celebration.

FACTS AT A GLANCE CAR: Ford Mondeo TDCi range PRICES: £16,495-£23,995 - on the road INSURANCE GROUPS: 7-9 CO2 EMISSIONS: 154-189g/km PERFORMANCE: [2.0 TDCI 140] 0-60mph 9.3s / Max Speed 130mph FUEL CONSUMPTION: [2.0 TDCI 140] (urban) 37.2mpg / (extra urban) 57.6mpg / (combined) 47.9mpg STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front, side and driver’s knee airbags, ESP stability control, ABS with electronic brake assist WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: length/width/height 4778/2078/1500mm