A more worldly Ford

Thankfully for all those who cannot wait until the Paris Show reviews, all the kit on Ford’s all-new Mondeo arrived with us in good time last week.

No-one, we are told. has driven it yet. But those who’ve seen it in the raw metal were mightily impressed. And why not?

The first Ford to be created digitally, the all-new Mondeo (which arrives in Ireland in the beginning of November) is an imposing eye-catcher.
Mondeo will be available on launch date in four and five-door formats - an estate version arrives in January - and hot versions like an ST200 replacement will follow in due course.

Bigger, bigger and better all round - it’s a half a class higher than the model it replaces. Overall vehicle length is 150mm longer. The wheelbase has been extended by 50mm. Front tread is 19mm wider, and the rear tread width is 50mm wider than that on the previous incarnation. Wheels are standard 16-inch - but larger 17 and 18 inch combinations are optional. Boot capacity at 500 litres is at the top of its segment.

Styling is less avant garde than expected. There’s a bit of the New Edge design we saw in Focus, Ka, Puma, and Cougar but it’s pretty understated and very fetching. A couple of car enthusiasts who know their shapes reckon some of Mondeo’s slippery new lines are quite Audi.

The interiors are very upmarket. Cabins are of surprising proportions. The decor is premium car class, the equipment level is awesome. Virtually every component of the suspension system has been reworked, and two new car engine families debut under its shapely bonnet.

New engine technology is at the heart of the new Mondeo.Only one plant - the proven 2.5 litre Duratec V6 at the top of the power range is carried over - and not without enhancements. Joining it are two light, four cyliner 16-valve variants of the all-new 14 Duratec HE petrol engine - and a new 115 PS 2.0 Duratorq DI 16-valve direct-injection turbodiesel which also makes its way in a much modified format into the new 1.0 tonne, front-wheel-drive Ford Transit.

The new Duratec HE engine comes with two displacement levels and three variants: 2.0 litre (145 PS), 1.8-litre (110 and 125 PS). With both variants, more than 90 per cent of peak torque is available across the broad rev band between 2,000 and 6,000rpm. Fuel consumption figures are respectable. For the combined figure, the 1.8-litre variant achieves 36.2mpg, the 2.0 is rated at 35.5mpg and the turbodiesel plant offers a promising 47.9mpg.

Mondeo set new standards in 1993 by being the first to offer a standard driver’s air bag. New Mondeo goes much further!

Standard fittings include: dual-stage front airbags, inflatable side curtains for front and rear occupants, chest protecting side air bags for front seat passengers, ABS with electronic brakeforce distribution, emergency brake assist, ISO-FIX child seat attachment points, and a collapsible pedal structure to protect size tens and shaplier ankles, too. Mondeo’s body is stiffer by 60 per cent; four-wheel-disc brakes are standard across the range.

Standard spec includes air conditioning and quickclear heated front windscreen. Clever features like the simple, new fully incinerable oil filter insert make maintenance, easier, quicker and cheaper - service time for the top 22 most frequently occuring, non-routine repairs is reduced by 16 to 18 per cent depending on model.