Ford Mondeo Hatchback Review

Design and Engineering

Design and Engineering

 Good

The current shape model, which arrived in Australia in October 2007, is a smart European designed and engineered medium player. Ford of Europe are well known for producing top notch driver’s cars so we expect no less than near segment best ride and handling from the Mondeo. A major tech upgrade arrived here in mid 2009 (the MB Series) and a new turbo diesel engine followed in August 2010.
Not so good

The mid life facelift which will sport freshly styled bumpers and other slight cosmetic changes is not far away (due Down Under in November 2010) so if you’re the kind of person who has to have the latest looking car in your driveway it may be worth waiting.
Interior and Styling

Interior and Styling

 Good

The Mondeo comes with a great range of features across the line-up: a modern-looking interior, easy to reach controls, comfortable seating position and good view of the vehicle’s surroundings. Ford has packed the Mondeo with loads of safety equipment and as a result receives a 5-star ANCAP safety rating.
Not so good

All grades are covered with a fake aluminium-look trim on the centre console, dashboard, steering wheel, door trims - everywhere! Whilst it looks kinda sporty and some of our review team gave it the thumbs up, others thought it was overkill.
Performance

Performance

 Good

Two four cylinder engines on offer – a 2.3L petrol with 118kW of power and 208Nm of torque tied to a six speed automatic gearbox or a 2.0L turbo diesel with 120kW and 340Nm linked to a new six-speed dual-clutch sequential automatic gearbox called Powershift. Our pick of the two engines is the turbo diesel. It’s a willing performer when required yet is refined and quiet at standstill and below 3000 revs (even compared against petrol engines). The Powershift gearbox is very good, gear changes are smooth and you get the fuel economy benefits of a manual gearbox with the convenience of an automatic.
Not so good

The turbo diesel becomes more vocal above 3000 revs however some of our reviewers quite liked the vocal note from the exhaust at higher revs. The 2.3L petrol is a reasonable engine that is more than happy when driven at a moderate pace. However, ask it to accelerate quickly (especially at highway speeds) and it can struggle at times, especially compared to the impressive turbo diesel. The petrol grades fuel economy is also much higher than the diesel.
Ride and Handling

Ride and Handling

 Good

The Mondeo’s handling is right towards the top of the medium segment. It’s an enjoyable wagon to drive over a twisty road, the ‘firmish’ suspension stays settled over a wide variety of surfaces. Small undulations on bumpy roads in the Mondeo are dealt with a maturity uncommon to this segment of vehicle. The steering is natural and intuitive, with an excellent willingness to change direction.
Not so good

The level of tyre noise over Australia’s rougher surfaced bitumen, the chunky, coarse-chip stuff used on many country roads is higher than ideal and not a match against the locally designed and built Ford Falcon.
Buying and Owning

Buying and Owning

 Good

Both engines are offered in three levels of trim, the entry level LX, the mid range Zetec and the range topping Titanium grade. Good to see that Ford has ensured every Mondeo wagon ticks the safety box (seven airbags including a driver’s knee airbag, Anti-lock brakes and Electronic Stability Control all come standard). The combined official fuel economy of the LX TDCI grade (the turbo diesel) is an impressively low 5.9L per 100kms. The Mondeo’s sloping hatch body has only a few competitors in the medium segment especially compared to the traditional three-box sedan and offers packaging and load space advantages.
Not so good

The fuel economy of the 2.3L petrol engine is 9.5L per 100kms – the petrol Mondeo is one of the least efficient medium segment players. We’d prefer a full size spare wheel than the temporary ‘space saver’.