Car Reviews

Back in 1993 the original Mondeo was a new kid on the block. It was a great selling car, possibly the best in the class that Ford ever built.

The C/D segment in which the New Mondeo will compete after it arrives at the end of May is a real battleground for dealers and for distributors alike. Customers can be fickle, and there's strong competition from SUVs, MPVs and so-called crossovers.

Ford say that in European terms there is no product more important to them than Mondeo. Some €715m has been invested in the Genk production plant in Belgium where New Mondeo is built alongside S-MAX and Galaxy. Around 860 units a day are being built there and this could increase.

This third generation Mondeo has a lot of heritage to live up to. Being just as good as the predecessor wasn't ever going to be good enough.

On a first drive last week over two days among the twisty hills of central Sardinia, it became clear that the new model is better than its predecessor. In every way.

The third generation has lots of pizazz and more. More elegance, better performance, more refined.

Ford's line director Steve Adams said they wanted to retain the traditional strengths of the outgoing car. Like the drive quality, handling, performance and steering. They also wanted to make new technologies affordable. There's a wider range of new techno stuff in New Mondeo than in any Ford car to date.

While the car looks bigger, it's only fractionally so. And there's oceans of room in the back.

The front end is quite dramatic. Ford's 'kinetic design' interpretation of a brief to provide a look of 'energy in motion'. There's a feeling of performance even when the car is standing still.

The side perspective is strong too, with a 'kinetic kick' at the back end in all variants. The back view is heavy, looking much better in light colours rather than the dark options.

Inside, instrumentation style comes in two forms. A traditional two dials and middle LED panel, or one with a 'techie' thin film display offering a range of graphic information about the car's status. I preferred the traditional format without all the potentially distracting graphics. But buyers have the choice.

Much was put into the quality feel of this car. The stitching around seat trims and arm rests, the chrome elements, the smooth operation of the switches, the solidity of the door handle. Ford say they were determined that the new Mondeo could at least match the BMWs and M-Bs in quality of build and trim.

Features are available which before only came in more expensive brands, either as options or in higher specs. Like radar-controlled Adaptive Cruise Control with Collision Avoidance. Other options include dynamically adjustable dampers.

Standard ESP is a welcome move in safety. It applies individual brake pressure to wheels and has the potential to prevent accidents. Seven airbags include knee protection.

You also get air conditioning, and a capless fuel inlet system that makes it impossible to put wrong fuel in the car. Heated windscreens are now part of even the basic car's package.

This first review is based on drives in two versions, not the ones which will make up the main sales in Ireland. The 2.5 litre petrol car driven through the winding hilly roads of Sardinia is a bit of an exotic, a five cylinder all-aluminium unit with 220hp and familiar from the Focus ST.

For a big car it handles really tightly in this configuration, which included the 'sport' setting on the damper control.

The 2.0 litre diesel the following day was a rather different drive. But very suitable for the same terrain, especially while having to dawdle up steep slopes behind slow traffic. Low-down grunt from the 140hp TDCI allowed easy loping through the hairpins without having to row the six-speed shifter.

In Ireland around 45 percent of new Mondeo's sales will be of the 1.6 litre petrol, followed by one of the two versions of the 1.8 TDCI.

We'll wait and see how the entry 1.6 performs on Irish roads. Since 2000, Ford have been the only car makers without this particular size engine in the Mondeo class.

At the international launch, Ford of Ireland's MD Eddie Murphy said he is convinced 'it's going to fly'.

It certainly should.

Brian Byrne

<I>Courtesy of Motornet.ie</I>