Ford Mondeo Review
Published: 18th June 2007
Ford Mondeo
The interior has undergone a major re-think, too. The driver now sits lower and this together with the high window-line makes you feel protected. Thanks to the wider, longer body, the front passenger and driver have 24mm more legroom and 52mm more shoulder room. It doesn’t sound like a great deal but it does make a difference and thoughtfully, the seats squabs have been lengthened to accommodate taller people.
The gearshift is positioned a little higher than in the previous car and the steering column has more scope for adjustment. So, as always with Ford, it is easy to find a comfortable driving position. This is especially so of the Ghia and Titanium X as they have 8-way, power-adjustable seats as standard.
I particularly liked the flowing lines of the dashboard that continue through to the doors. The instrument nacelle is subdued and stylish with easily-read black dials separated, in the test car, by a multi-coloured display. The centre console is also an exercise in constraint. In the Titanium X, test car, the main feature was the sat-nav screen with controls for the Dual-zone Electronic Automatic Temperature Control (DEATC) below. All of which is set into a piano-black surround, which, itself is nested in a shapely, stainless steel-effect console. Unfortunately this is a bit tacky in places and spoils the premium feel of the rest of the cabin.
Ford’s HMI or Human Machine Interface is evident in two main areas. First are the two toggle switches on the steering wheel and the aforementioned display panel in the instrument cluster, which comes in three formats; Standard and Enhanced feature monochrome red displays, while the Ford Convers+ has a 15cm, full colour display and is standard on the two top specified cars.
The trim level also determines the choice of audio and communication systems. There are three radio/CD players available, two of which are Sony units with MP3 compatibility. One of these has a single CD and the other comes with a 6 CD autochanger, while an optional, extended version of this unit can be bought to go with on of the CD- or DVD-based navigation systems. Bluetooth with hands-free and voice control is available for £150 but that doesn’t include the ‘phone or the cradle.
Rear passengers aren’t left out as they have plenty of legroom - almost like a limousine. To take account of the times when load-lugging is a necessity, the rear seats have a 60:40 split to both the backrest and the seats. This increases the already cavernous boot of the hatch from 528- to 1,448-litres of sensible space. A little more can be gained if a mini spare wheel is taken in place of the full-size replacement. Alloy wheels with run-flat tyres and a Tyre Pressure Monitoring System are an option priced between £525 and £1,425.
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