Ford Mondeo: Agile Everyday Runabout

2023 Author: Eric Donovan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-08-25 09:36

Ford recently gave its middle-class Mondeo a facelift, which makes him even more adult and sophisticated and predestined to poach heavily in the VW Passat and Co. territory.

The Ford Mondeo was one of the industry's shooting stars when it replaced the Sierra. It was certainly much more upright than its almost futuristic-looking ancestor, but the sales figures have shown the manufacturer to be right. That was 18 years ago, and the Mondeo was always one of the best-selling middle graders in Germany. Of course, the design has become fresher and classier today, you could almost say that the Mondeo has lost its image as a good shopping bag. Reason enough to take a closer look at the current version.

High quality ambience in the interior

Visually, the current model is refreshingly upbeat. The front is characterized by the powerful, trapezoidal radiator grille. The hood opens into a gently sloping windshield. The headlights are pulled far back, and in the "Titanium S" equipment variant even in a bi-xenon version with cornering light. The rear of the five-door sedan is characterized by the high-mounted rear lights and has a sporty, muscular appearance. The roofline, which is also sloping flat towards the rear, gives the Mondeo a very dynamic look.

Inside, passengers can expect a high-quality ambience and a large amount of space. The leather-Alcantara seats with red stitching are comfortable and also enable long stages in a row without physical malaise. The feeling of space is just as generous as the external dimensions of the vehicle. At 4.78 meters, the sedan is an impressive 30 centimeters longer than its predecessor. As a result, the backbenchers enjoy plenty of leg and shoulder room, and the headroom is also good up to a height of 1.95 meters.

In 7.9 seconds to 100 km / h

The middle class is started at the push of a button, the "key" can stay in the jacket pocket. The four-cylinder starts its work smoothly and with great smoothness. With turbocharging and gasoline direct injection, the 2.0 liter "Eco Boost" in-line four-cylinder engine produces 149 kW / 203 hp and is good for a top speed of 232 km / h and an acceleration of 7.9 seconds from standstill to 100 km / h. Power is transmitted by a dual-clutch automatic transmission with a sequential shift mode. In this combination, consumption of 8.0 to 9.0 liters can be achieved, in the test cut it was 10.5 liters. At full throttle he also likes to take 13 liters and more.

The Mondeo pulls up evenly and with a lot of pressure from idle, even if the gas commands are only converted into propulsion with a small delay. The automatic system acknowledges switching operations with minimal jerks. The torque distribution is very even, and at higher speeds, the discreet, restrained engine noise is accompanied by a sporty, hoarse hiss that elicits even more sporting ambitions from the driver, especially on winding mountain stretches with many gear changes. And when things get tough, the powerful but easy-to-dose brakes in combination with brake assist, electronic brake force distribution and anti-skid ESP reliably catch the Cologne-based driver again.

Advance warnings in the steering wheel

The chassis is taut and sporty, and you only want a little more comfort on holey slopes. If you take long motorway bends at 200 km / h or more, there is minimal agitation in the steering, but this never takes on critical proportions. Keyword safety: In the event of a crash, active headrests, seat belt tensioners and force limiters, safety steering columns and pedals as well as a large number of airbags should minimize the consequences of the accident.

As befits its standing, the car comes up with all sorts of electronic helpers. The lane change warning system, which also likes to identify bushes in the middle of the motorway as following traffic, is relatively nervous. The lane departure warning system, on the other hand, works extremely reliably, "massaging" the hands with clear vibrations when crossing a driving line without blinking, thus warning the driver in advance.

Downside of the loading floor

It takes getting used to retrieving information such as average consumption or remaining range using the on-board computer. To do this, the driver has to click through several submenus until the desired data appears in the information unit in the instruments. On the other hand, the operation of the audio navigation unit, including the Bluetooth hands-free system, is playful. All desired settings can be made on the 7-inch touchscreen with just a few commands. And the voice quality of the telephone system leaves nothing to be desired.

A real downer is the fact that when the rear seat is folded down there is a step in the loading floor. But in view of the relatively lush trunk of 486 to 1460 liters, this should rarely be necessary. The basic version of the Mondeo is available from 23,200 euros, the "Titanium S" version tested costs at least 34,000 euros. (mid)