Did Ford lose their bottle with the new Mondeo?

I remember from preview stuff that it was supposed to be much more like the 'New Edge' in styling terms as was the Focus against the Escort it replaced.

And in the business it is common knowledge that a change was made in the project, that the Generation Three Mondeo should not be as radical as Focus was?

(By extension, should not be as SUCCESSFUL? Focus has proved itself, in dynamics as well as style. And more importantly in sales.)

Hmmm. Shades of Sierra. At least in the 'scaredy-cat' sense. Then, Ford went avant, and suffered ... until the car eventually, and, yes, late, gained acceptance.

At a glance, and even later, the new Mondeo is a Passat imitation in style. In the saloons particularly, where the roof curves and the rear ends. Though in this wagon the tall rear lights give the car more distinction than the VW competition.

There ARE elements of New Edge, as seen early in the Cougar. There is nothing, though, of the dramatic change which Focus made to Escort owners.

And, bluntly, the Generation 2 Mondeo was much more interesting in styling terms than is the latest version.

But all that should not take away from one important fact. The latest Mondeo, in overall terms, is a better car. A much better car. Which is very good, because in most respects the last Mondeo was itself very good.

It's bigger. That's important. Because from very early on the previous car proved itself to be too small against its main opposition.

It looks more solid. Which is the plan. And in the review car, the wagon version, it is what it sets out to be, a people-and-load-carrier (PLC?) of really good capability.

From very early on, I liked the dynamics of this new Mondeo wagon. It handles well. A bit 'floatier' than the family Primera 2-litre auto saloon, the current benchmark chez Byrne. But with the promise that with a suitable wagon load up, it will be doing what it should.

Viv, who drives the Primera almost all of the time, felt the Ford to be much zippier. Which is probably right, given that it has a similar power output as the larger-engined Nissan and puts it through a manual gearbox. And the torque characteristics are better too, with maximum pulling power way low down. I'll go into more technical detail on the engine when I try it shortly in the saloon.

And the 'softer' suspension feel didn't actually translate into indifferent handling on the indifferent roads which are the norm where I live.

Actually - and with a wagon version, it is not really fair to compare - I felt it to be perceptivally better than the Passat against which it is pitched.

Before going into detail on this, let's suss out the ergonomics. Front part, the review car had normal adjustments for the driver, with electric height-moving system

There's an awful lot of black dashboard ahead of us in front, very reminiscent of the current VW Beetle, actually. Though there's more room BEHIND that in the Mondeo.

Tried the rear, too ... and was very impressed as I was driven to Busarus to take a bus home (another story entirely). Apart from excellent kneeroom, head space is way above my needs. My TALL needs.

So, the latest Mondeo is vastly more roomy than the older model. And it has a greatly decent luggage space for the needs of the passengers it is likely to carry. A gripe, though. Though the tailgate can be opened by either a switch on the dash or the keyfob, there's a rather sharp edge on the bit where you have to lift from.

Still on the negative, the almost-not-there rest for the left foot might as well not have been designed.

I sense a trend back towards mid-sized wagons in Irleland. We used to love them, then we were swayed to hatchbacks. A more active lifestyle may be the inspiration. Whatever, Ford has always provided us with a decent choice in this segment.

I have a number of other Mondeo versions coming onto my road soon. I rather suspect I'm going to like them as much as I've liked this. Mondeo started out as a car to change the public perception of mid-range Fords. It did so.

The latest version is a bloody good car. It probably will prove to be a real contender, maybe a winner, for the segment crown held lately by Passat in perceptive terms, though in actual fact by Toyota's Avensis.

So far, and I am prepared to be proved wrong, they could have done that in a more adventurous way.

Why try to equal, when you can win?