New Ford Mondeo - extended test drive

I’ve not so much had a ‘Mondeo moment’ but rather a longer spell with Ford’s new sales hope and brand elevator.

The model in question was the best selling five-door hatchback body style with a 2.0-litre TDCi 140PS diesel engine. The car had the Titanium X specification with a price tag of £21,645, but with extra cost items pushing it up to £23,845, well into ‘premium brand’ territory.

Having driven new models abroad and at home for short spells it is nice to get the really important cars for a longer period back home. Driving them on roads we know, in UK traffic we hate, and just to gauge what the public reaction is a reality check.

My longer spell with the new Ford Mondeo has generally reconfirmed my original positive views about the design and integrity of the car but I’m still not sure that retaining the Mondeo name for a such an improved and much classier car was the right move by Ford.

As soon as you come to park the new Mondeo you discover this is a much bigger car, now 4,778mm in length for the best selling five-door hatchback. For the record the width is 1,886mm and the height 1,500mm.

The longer 2,850mm wheelbase provides for much more interior legroom, especially in the rear. It is now a full five-seater with a huge 528-litre of luggage space with all five seats in use and a massive 1,448-litres with the rear seats folded.

The looks are also classier, the design says ‘quality’ and pound for pound the specifications levels are much higher even though the prices in some cases are marginally lower.

The Titanium X model, is designed to give a ‘sports’ image and the specification includes, adaptive front lighting, heated front seats, Alcantara fabric and leather upholstery, dual air conditioning, electronic stability programme, anti-lock braking, front, side, front knee and curtain airbags, an uprated Sony sound system and lots of bright metal interior trim.

In addition the test car had a mobile phone Bluetooth hands-free and voice control package, a really good touch-screen DVD navigation system and the Sports Pack that includes larger 18-inch alloy wheels, a firmer sports suspension and a rear sports spoiler.

I personally wouldn’t go for the Sports Pack. The larger wheels compromise the handling making the car tramline on our poor road surfaces and the stiffer suspension settings do nothing for ride comfort or improve on the really very good standard road holding performance. Road noise intrusion is also too high.

The previous Mondeo was noisy, uncomfortable, cramped and tiring to drive as a family sized car. In most areas the new model in a vast improvement. The 2.0-litre, 140Ps engine is responsive, it feels strong, it likes to be revved and it is very economical for a car of this size helped by the long-legged six-speed transmission.

A good 46.9mpg was recorded during my week’s driving over all sorts of roads both for long and short journeys.

The driving position is excellent but the thick rear quarter pillars and steeply raked rear tailgate window restrict vision. Another negative point is the reflection in the windscreen of the vent on top of the fascia.

Two minor niggles only about a new Ford model which overall is very good indeed.

MILESTONES

Ford Mondeo 2.0 TDCi 140PS Six Speed Titanium X >Price as tested: £23,845. Engine: 2.0-litre, four-cylinder diesel, direct injection, common-rail, variable geometry turbocharger with intercooler and overboost function, 140PS with 320-340Nm of torque from 1,750rpm >Performance: 130mph, 0-60mph 9.3 seconds, 47.9mpg (46.9mpg actual), CO2 156g/km, VED Band D £140 >Insurance: Group 8E

For: Interior space, huge boot, more upmarket, improved quality and classy specification, better road image, seemingly well built, a good drive >Against: Restricted rear visibility, fascia panel reflections in the windscreen, top model prices now in the ‘premium sector’

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