Gone to buy-downs, every one… well, not quite. Family cars, rep’s cars, middle management exec cars: they go under various descriptions, but you don’t see them much these days. All hammered into buy-down oblivion by the effects of prices and fuel cost, and lately multi-purpose vehicles. Yet there is no shortage of activity in the marketing area of this segment, with new models from Nissan and Toyota now being joined by Ford’s latest Mondeo. At present, the now fully-imported Ford is available only in the upmarket Ghia spec featured here.
Of course, the Mondeo arrives in a rather different context to when its spiritual predecessor, the Cortina, held sway. But that car, which got countless families on the road and provided a massive boost to Ford, proved to be a hard act to follow. Worse, through South Africa’s isolation years, blue oval fans had to be content with badge-engineered Mazdas. The Mondeo eventually hit the local market a few years ago on a wave of acclaim, but somehow it never made much of an impression.
Now Ford is back – the real Ford – and we are into our second-generation Mondeo already. After the lukewarm reception given the Mondeo 1 locally, the last thing you’d expect is genuine, unbridled enthusiasm from objective observers. So we were wary, to say the least, when our testers came back bubbling over with superlatives. Through long experience, CAR’s test team has found that sometimes an initial negative vibe about a vehicle may turn out to be unfounded. In the same vein, a non-committal first response may suggest, not blandness, but subtleties that only become apparent the better you get to know it. There is one observation, though, that can be held to be generally true: if at first you like it to bits, watch that initial excitement fade to boredom and then irritation in no time.
So you can understand our caution. Granted, the Mondeo’s looks turn heads. The New Edge styling first seen here on the Focus is everywhere evident, and in many ways better realised, on the Mondeo. The sharp creases that sculpt the car’s overall lines are in sharp contrast to the previous model’s curves. And the millimetric precision of the shutlines, plus the extra sealing visible along the passenger cell, hints at an altogether higher level of engineering and refinement. But although the styling cues are Ford’s, they are still unfamiliar on South African roads, where the overall look is more likely to evoke the austere lines of the new breed of VW/Audi products.
Viewed on its own, the new car doesn’t seem immediately bigger than its predecessor, but it is in fact nearly 150 mm longer. Of that, 50 mm has gone into the wheelbase, virtually all of it into rear legroom improvement. If the exterior suggests more than a hint of VW/Audi, the bi-level interior colour scheme, with its dark upper area and light lower, makes an even more forthright statement in that direction. And that’s a good example to follow. Yes, it may not match the overall look and feel of the materials coming out of Wolfsburg and Ingoldstadt, but the Mondeo’s interior is outstanding by any other measure.
Offering a distinctive counterpoint to the Edge-ness – along with the Ford badge, of course – is the centerpiece of the facia’s hangdown section, the silvered oval clock. Which brings us to the Ghia nomenclature. Long associated with Ford, the Ghia crest hasn’t been seen on a car here since the Telstar of the ‘90s. The Italian design house’s name signifies a specification that incorporates the kind of elegance not found in more run-of-the-mill versions. And for once the promise is borne out, with a discreet blend of appointments and styling quite appropriate to a very upmarket conveyance. The charcoal woodgrain panelling and pale leather integrate well with the soft-feel synthetic materials used, and really the only jarring note is the plasticky four-spoke steering wheel.
Luxury and convenience features are what you’d expect of a car within shouting distance of R200 000, from climate control to full leather upholstery and a front-loading CD/radio that incorporates an in-facia shuttle for six discs. An unusual – and useful – feature is an anti-theft removable section of the player shaped like a pen, with a clip for easy carrying. Accommodation space front and rear is excellent, but there is perhaps one criticism that can justifiably be levelled at the Mondeo, in Ghia trim at any rate: ergonomically, it could stand a couple of improvements. The cluster of pushbuttons in the facia, although located well within reach and sight, aren’t the most intuitive means of controlling functions such as temperature control – what’s wrong with a simple rotary knob?
Driving position can be problematic, too. A plus point is a steering wheel that adjusts for tilt and reach, plus motorised seat adjustment, but the satellite controls for the radio/CD, which get in the way of the left knee, particularly when getting in and out, score a thumbsdown. There is no left foot-rest to rest the clutch foot, either. Based on the previous Zetec-E units, the new Duratec-HE has many detail improvements, prominent among them a vastly more powerful engine management system. As before, the engine drives the front wheels via the MTX 75 gearbox (albeit upgraded). Shift quality is superb, the slick, precise cable-operated shift and hydraulic clutch operation allowing light snickety-snick cog-swapping.
The four-cylinder beat is well subdued – but its output certainly is not. Performance of this 1 999 cm3 unit is significantly up on the previous two-litre’s, at 107 kW peak. Torque is six per cent up – 190 N.m at 4 500 r/min. Subjectively, the Mondeo feels frisky, and our road-test experiences bear this out. Although the power to mass ratio is thereby slightly improved, the performance is actually markedly better.
From standstill to 100 km/h takes 9,35 seconds, good enough to see off anything else in class. The kilometre mark will pass in 30,73 seconds at a terminal speed of 166,6 km/h, and if you take the Mondeo all the way it will run to 215 km/h. For a two-litre family car loaded down with mod cons – plus, of course, our two testers and equipment – this is outstanding. What’s more, it entails none of the usual tradeoff, namely excessive exhaust boom or engine noise. Economy is good by class standards, with steady-speed consumption of 7,39 litres at 100 km/h equating to 10,35 overall by our fuel index method, although not as good as the previous model’s. Conservative drivers will better 600 km on a tankful.
And if its performance in a straight line can be regarded as satisfying, it’s in ride and handling that the new Ford truly excels. The predecessor was impressive in this regard, of course, but this Mondeo has to be regarded the benchmark for medium saloons. The steering, so often a let-down in cars in this class, provides the kind of reassuring feel and precision, without excessive kickback, expected of more performance-oriented models. Not only is the Mondeo poised in at-the-limit driving, it is able to deliver a smooth ride, absorbent without being marshmallowy, with body roll well controlled, when more leisurely travel is required. For long-distance cruising it’s hard to beat.
Isolation from road noise, in particular, is outstanding. Low-speed ride is firm enough to signal to enthusiasts that there is a sporty side to this Ford, but not so harsh that it annoys. There are, naturally, cars with a more cosseting ride. But turn up the wick a little and the Ford rises to the challenge. And in addition to the inherent predictability of the car’s behaviour, it has stability control as standard (this can be switched out).
Suspension layout is the all-independent layout used before, with MacPherson struts and coils up front and four-link and coil springs at the rear. Track has been widened substantially. Brake feel is excellent in normal and harsh use, allowing pedal modulation to suit all situations. In our simulated crash-stop routine, the Mondeo’s ABS and BAS-boosted all-disc system (ventilated in front) hauled it down consistently from 100 km/h to zero in under three seconds.
As measured by our ISO block method, the boot space is 392 dm3, bigger than its predecessor’s. The load area itself is superbly trimmed. Dropping the 60:40 split folding rear seats, accessible only from the boot, boosts this to 1 152 dm3. In addition to this, there is plenty of oddments space, from deep door bins to cubbyholes in the centre console and driver’s side of the facia.
Safety was given particularly high priority with the new Mondeo. In addition to the active benefits of ABS and BAS, there are dual front airbags with progressive actuation, side bags, and pyrotechnic seatbelt tensioners with force limiters. Design of the bodywork and accessories also shows attention to safety detail, with door mouldings specially designed to cushion impact, head restraints and three-point belts for five occupants, and pedals that fold out of the way on impact.
Finally, like many others nowadays, the Ford has extended service intervals. The long-life chain that operates the timing gear, for one, has helped stretch the distance between services to 20 000 km or once a year.
