Ford Mondeo Trend Ecoboost new car review

[LoudPipes]

A good review.

Ford Mondeo Trend Ecoboost new car review

Date May 22, 2015
Stephen Ottley

The blue oval's new mid-size sedan has the right stuff to stand out in a competitive crowd.

Our rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Pros
Punchy engine
Generous equipment levels
Excellent safety credentials

Cons
Thirsty engine
Pricier than some rivals
Compromised rear head room

Ford Falcon? What Falcon?

There is a lot riding on the new Ford Mondeo. Unlike its predecessors that were simply expected to play a supporting role to Ford's homemade large car, this new Mondeo effectively replaces the Falcon as the blue oval's headline act.

It appears Ford has thrown everything it could at the mid-sizer, giving it new style, new engines and class-leading safety.

But can it live up to its new starring role?

What do you get?

Ford is offering a wide range for the new Mondeo with three trim levels (Ambiente, Trend and Titanium), three engine options (two different tunes of the same 2.0-litre Ecoboost and a 2.0-litre turbo diesel) and two body styles (five-door hatch and wagon).

There is a significant price spread across such a wide range with the Ambiente Ecoboost hatch starting proceedings at $32,790 (plus on-road and dealer costs) and the diesel-powered Titanium wagon capping the range at $49,340 (plus costs).

We're testing the mid-range Trend hatch which is priced from $37,290 (plus costs),and backed up by a lengthy list of standard equipment.

Power mirrors with puddle lights, cornering lamps, heated front seats, partial leather seats, dual-zone airconditioning, keyless entry and ignition, Ford's SYNC2 infotainment system, eight-speaker stereo, navigation with traffic updates, Bluetooth, reversing camera, rear parking sensors and 17-inch alloy wheels are all included in the price.

The Trend also comes with the latest in active safety features including autonomous braking, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keeping aid and lane-departure warning.

It also features seven airbags (front, side, curtain and driver's knee) plus inflatable rear seatbelts for the two outer passengers; something none of its major rivals can claim.

Another ace up its sleeve is Ford's MyKey which allows the owner to restrict certain functions (speed limit, stereo volume) if they lend the Mondeo to their children.

The Mondeo is covered by a standard three-year/100,000km warranty.

It's also served by the brand's new lifetime capped-price servicing program. The intervals are 12 months or every 15,000km (whichever comes first). Minor services are $355 while major ones will set you back $550.

What's inside?

To go with the major external design overhaul the cabin of the Mondeo has been refreshed.

The biggest change is the introduction of SYNC2 which brings an 8-inch colour touchscreen to the centre of the dash. It takes over a lot of the functionality that the old model required numerous buttons and dials for. The net result is a cleaner looking and easier-to-use interior.

The rest of the design is good too, with good small item storage include a partitioned area at the bottom the centre dash and a decent sized central storage box.

The materials used in the cabin are mostly pretty good to lend a more premium feel, and attention has been paid to make sure the key touch points (door handles, gearshift, etc) are finished in soft touch trim.

The leather and cloth trimmed seats are supportive up front. Rear headroom is compromised by the steeply raked roofline but legroom is more than adequate for adults.

The 557-litre boot is spacious and the hatchback makes loading large objects easy.

Under the bonnet

As mentioned above Ford offers two different performance tunes for the 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol.

The Ambiente gets 149kW/345Nm but the Trend and Titanium get a more powerful 177kW version. Torque is the same but is spread more broadly across the rev range.

Peak torque comes in at 2300rpm which means the Mondeo pulls strongly from take-off and has plenty of mid-range shove for overtaking.

Paired with a conventional six-speed automatic, that shifts smoothly even at low speed (unlike dual-clutch rivals), the Mondeo is a slick performer on the move.

Fuel use is the only minor criticism of the drivetrain. The official combined urban/highway figure is 8.2 litres per 100km, which makes it average for the class.

On the plus side the Mondeo can run on a diet of regular unleaded, even if it prefers premium.

On the road

The old Mondeo won praise for its combination of a composed ride but engaging handling. Thankfully the new model retains that balance.

The suspension soaks up bumps – small and large – with good body control leaving the occupants feeling cosseted. That is helped by the 17-inch alloys that are paired with Michelin tyres; larger wheels may look better but the smaller size offer up more compliance.

But when you push the Mondeo through a series of bends it responds with poise and consistency. The steering isn't quite as fluid as its predecessor but is nicely weighted and direct but also offers meaningful feedback to the driver.

Verdict

Not only does the Mondeo live up to its new role as Ford's starring sedan it also stakes a claim as one of the best mid-size sedans on the market.

That's a big statement because the number of new or updated models in this class in 2015 is sizeable and competition is intense.

But the new Mondeo offers a nice balance between comfort, convenience, driving engagement, value and safety.

Our rating:

Ford Mondeo Trend Ecoboost pricing and specifications

Price: $37,290 plus on-road costs

Country of origin: Spain

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo petrol

Power: 177kW at 5300rpm

Torque: 345Nm at 2300-4900rpm

Fuel use: 8.2L/100km

CO2 emissions: 192g/km

Transmission: 6-speed auto, front-wheel drive

Weight: 1634kg

Safety: Nine airbags (front, side, curtain, driver's knee), inflatable rear seatbelts, reversing camera, autonomous emergency braking, lane-keeping aid, lane-departure warning and MyKey.

http://www.drive.com.au/new-car-revi...520-3wb60.html