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By
EWAN KENNEDY
28 April 2008
The latest Ford Mondeo is bigger than ever before, actually
approaching the Falcon in its overall measurements as well as
interior space. So this is far cry from the Mondeo we saw here in
the mid-1990s and into the early years of this century. Falcon is,
of course, an Australian designed and built car, whereas Mondeo is
a global model produced in Europe for sale worldwide. Indeed, the
name Mondeo signifies ‘world’.
To tie the new FG Falcon into the global Ford scene there is a
resemblance between the two shapes, though our local car takes a
more conservative approach than its imported brother. We really do
like the looks of the Mondeo, particularly its short overhangs and
the sleek treatment of the rear end.
Mondeo is large enough to be used as a family car by those with
three young children, even to carry five adults without too much
rubbing of shoulders, though four is a more suitable load.
It’s sold with a choice of petrol and diesel engines. Our
test car this week has been the turbo-diesel model, the Mondeo
TDCi turbo-diesel. Sold in Zetec spec it costs $3000 more than the
petrol 2.3. The diesel has a capacity of 2.0 litres and produces
96 kW and 320 Nm. Meaning there's plenty of grunt for safe
overtaking and easy hill climbing.
Of course the main reason for buying a diesel engine is to cut
fuel consumption. Most drivers will only use about six to eight
litres per hundred kilometres in moderate country running and when
cruising on motorways. This isn’t likely to go much above nine
to ten litres per hundred kilometres even when doing hard
commuting work in heavy traffic.
Body types being imported to Australia are four-door sedan and
five-door hatchback. A station wagon is sold in other markets but
is not coming here. Our test car was a spacious hatchback with not
only a big load area, but also a good sized opening that can
handle bulky items. Previous tests in sedans had shown us its boot
opening is significantly smaller than that of the hatch, so be
sure to have a look at both when testing at your Ford dealer.
The seats are big and comfortable and those in the front offer
good side support even during spirited cornering.
We are impressed by the solid feel of the body, a feel that
bodes well for long life.
Also pleasing is the very European handling and comfort
characteristics. There really is something about Euro cars that
gives satisfaction to those who enjoy driving. The way the car
answers commands properly, feels neutral and is happy to change
direction part way through a corner. The Ford Mondeo has all these
characteristics and we thoroughly enjoyed our time with it.
If there's one fault it’s the amount of road-noise intrusion
on coarse-chip surfaces. Something that may prove too much for
people doing a lot of driving in the bush. This isn’t unusual in
European cars, but the Falcon does it so much better and it’s a
shame some design input couldn’t have come from our local
engineers during the design stages of the Mondeo.
On smooth to moderate surfaces the NVH (Noise, Vibration and
Harshness) levels of the new Mondeo are very good. It’s only the
rough stuff that causes some hassles.
New Ford Mondeo is the right car at the right time for Ford
Australia. Its combination of keen pricing, beautiful styling and
practicality seem sure to strike a chord with many buyers.
Mondeo isn’t really likely to steal many sales away from
Falcon, particularly in its impressive new FG format. Nonetheless,
it’s worth trying both during your early stages of car buying as
they display quite different character and you may well find the
Mondeo does everything you want, while displaying a more way out
choice in the way of styling.
AT A GLANCE
MODEL RANGE
LX 2.3-litre four-door sedan - $29,990
Zetec 2.3-litre four-door sedan - $34,990
Zetec 2.3-litre five-door hatch - $34,990
TDCi 2.0-litre diesel four-door sedan - $37,990
TDCi 2.0-litre diesel five-door hatch - $37,990
XR5 2.5-litre turbo five-door hatch - $41,990
FEATURES
ABS Brakes: Standard in all models
Air Conditioning: Standard in all models
Automatic Transmission: Standard in all models
CD Player: Standard in all models
Central Locking: Standard in all models
Cruise Control: Standard in all models
Dual Front Airbags: Standard in all models
Front Side Airbags: Standard in all models
Stability Control: Standard in all models
Traction Control: Standard in all models
SPECIFICATIONS (Ford Mondeo TDCi 2.0-litre diesel five-door
hatch)
ENGINE:
Capacity: 1.997 litres
Configuration: Four cylinders in line
Head Design: DOHC, four valves per cylinder
Compression Ratio: 17.9:1
Bore/Stroke: 85.0 x 88.0 mm
Maximum Power: 96 kW @ 4000rpm
Maximum Torque: 320 Nm @ 1750 rpm
DRIVELINE:
Driven Wheels: Front
Manual Transmission: Not offered
Automatic Transmission: Six-speed
Final Drive Ratio: 3.33:1
DIMENSIONS, WEIGHT AND CAPACITIES:
Length: 4778 mm
Wheelbase: 2850 mm
Width: 1886 mm
Height: 1500 mm
Turning Circle: 11.5 metres
Kerb Mass: 1604 kg
Fuel Tank Capacity: 70 litres
Towing Ability: 750 kg (1200 kg with braked trailer)
SUSPENSION AND BRAKES:
Front Suspension: Independent, MacPherson struts, lower control
arms, isolated subframe, anti-roll bar
Rear Suspension: Independent, control blade, multi-link,
isolated subframe, anti-roll bar
Front Brakes: Ventilated disc
Rear Brakes: Disc
PERFORMANCE:
0-100 km/h Acceleration: NA
Standing 400 Metres: NA
FUEL CONSUMPTION:
Type: Diesel
Combined Cycle (ADR 81/01): 7.3 L/100km
EMISSION RATINGS:
Green Vehicle Guide Greenhouse Rating: 6.5/10
Green Vehicle Guide Air Pollution Rating: 5/10
STANDARD WARRANTY:
Three years/100,000km
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Marque Publishing Company
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