Ford Mondeo Review

In a time when rumours are rife, Ford tells us that the Mondeo is its most important European car. So, it’s a good job that the company has got it right.

There has been a Mondeo on our roads since 1993 and since then, Ford has sold almost four million of them. The car has undergone a few facelifts and changes in that time, culminating in the latest car to bear the name, which is a completely different animal.

The Mondeo has grown up and is ready to play with the bigger boys; both in terms of quality and technical specification. All three body-styles will be available from launch; saloon, 5-door hatchback and estate.

All of them have grown in stature. For example, the 5-door, test car has grown by 47mm in length and is 120mm wider. But it’s not just the increase in size that makes the difference, it’s more in the design, which is now more refined.

At the front, the large, lower front grille is similar to that of the S-MAX and the re-vamped C-MAX. It isn’t surprising really as they are all built alongside each other, in Belgium, using shared components. The upper part of the grille separates new, swept back light clusters. The detailing of this top grille is an aid to differentiating between the four trim levels. The Edge and Zetec have a rectangular ‘grid’ design on both grilles with the upper surrounded by brightwork. The Ghia has three horizontal bars in the upper section, while the Titanium X has a silver grid in both and chrome brightwork.

The headlamps are bigger and better than before, with the option of Halogen or Bi-Xenon, Adaptive Front Lighting System (AFS). Moving back towards the windscreen, the bonnet features two grooves, which are meant to create a ‘power-bulge’, aiding the meaty appearance.

The higher shoulder-line, complete with design line, gives the new Mondeo an almost Volvo-esque look, which is no bad thing. At the back, of course, the body variants go their separate ways but one thing they do have in common are the two-piece, honeycomb, rear light clusters and something called a ‘sacrifice panel’. This panel is made of body-coloured plastic and is situated in the lower part of the boot or tailgate. The idea is to make this vulnerable area cheaper to repair.