2015 Ford Mondeo Trend diesel wagon - Carsguide review

[Silver Ghia]

Now that Ford has earmarked the demise of the Falcon toward the end of next year, they are relying on the Mondeo to fill that market segment. The Mondeo wagon has already replaced the Falcon wagon for some years now.

So wouldn't you think that Ford would be making sure the new Mondeo is of the highest standard, improving on the previous model, to gain as much of that market as possible?

http://www.carsguide.com.au/car-revi...4#.VXpJhfmqqko

By Paul Gover.

The Ford Mondeo is big news. As the Falcon continues its wither-and-die trajectory, the mid-sizer is the new family ambassador and one of the company's best bets — along with the Mustang due in November — for a place in this year's Carsguide Car of the Year run-off.

Except it's not. The new Mondeo has lost its mojo, something reflected in everything from lacklustre suspension to panel fits as bad as anything I've seen in the past decade.

The cabin is roomy, there is lots of technology and efficiency

The Mondeo looks good — no, great — on paper. The cabin is roomy, there is lots of technology and efficiency, there are even airbags on the seat belts for the rear bench.

So I'm smiling as I collect a Mondeo wagon with the efficient 2.0-litre turbo diesel, knowing that the few niggles from the previous car (mostly an overly-fussy dashboard) have been fixed.

Then I go to the back of the Mondeo wagon, and ... well, I'm horrified.

The fit of the rear door is plain awful, out of alignment in every plane, and I wonder what it says about the rest of the assembly work at Ford's factory at Valencia in Spain. I expect this sort of thing on a Chery after a lousy experience with the Chinese baby but not from a 21st-century Ford.

My guard is up now as I hit the road and it's not long before I hear more warning bells.

The steering seems wonky, as if it's got too much toe-in or inconsistent electric power assistance, and I find the car wobbling through corners as I adjust to the strange feel.

Then I hit a few corners and there is lateral pitching that's totally unlike any earlier Mondeo. It absorbs speed humps without a trace of drama yet it jerks and pitches over any undulations in corners.

I could almost imagine I'm driving a car with suspension set up for US roads, not the European settings we usually get in Australia, but adding the suspension to the panel fit really has me worried.

So, let's turn to the good stuff instead. The new Mondeo looks good, nicely tough in the body in a class where the Japanese and Korean cars are gentle on the eyes.

The dash layout is great with a giant infotainment screen and the promise of Sync2 connectivity with voice control for the telephone, aircon, music system and a lot more. The fiddly little switches of the previous car are toast.

There's plenty of go in the diesel

The seats are comfortable, there is great legroom in the back and I like the space and flexibility in the boot, with classy-looking tie-downs and rails.

There's plenty of go in the diesel, channelled via the six-speed Powershift auto that slurs seamlessly but can also be switched to a manual mode for a bit of fun or extra overtaking urge. Anything with 400Nm of torque is going to be strong and the wagon's tow rating is 1600kg.

It's also a quiet and efficient combination. There are few audible hints that there's a diesel in the engine bay, thanks to extra sound proofing, and there are long gaps between stops at the fuel pumps.

The engine stop-start tech works well.

On the safety front, the rear seat belt airbag is impressive — although hard for my five-year-old to use. The rest of the package is equally good, including auto safety braking with the capacity to detect pedestrians.

I'm less impressed by the instruments, which seem a bit small and busy for me. A digital speedometer is missing, something that grates in a country riddled with low-tolerance speed cameras.

As I spend more time with the Mondeo I'm thinking about its rivals and how it rates against them. It's definitely not as good as a Mazda6 and, unfortunately for Ford, I'd put my test car behind the mid-sized Koreans and also the latest Skoda Octavia.

VERDICT

I came to the new Mondeo with high hopes and a smile but took away The Tick ... and a frown. I can't see it making the COTY shortlist for 2015.

Ford Modeo Trend diesel wagon
Price: from $43,340
Warranty: 3 years/100,000km
Capped servicing: Yes
Service interval: 12 months/15,000km
Resale: 48 per cent
Safety: ANCAP
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo diesel, 132kW/400Nm
Transmission: 6-speed auto; FWD
Thirst: 5.3L/100km
Dimensions: 4867mm (L), 1852mm (W), 1501mm (H), 2850mm (WB)
Weight: 1705kg
Spare: space-saver

Since having driven a Mondeo wagon for the first time in England in 2000, I have held a high regard for the Mondeo. Ford has made a gross error in supplying this test car as presented for such an important road test report, that will now be difficult to rectify. Why Ford would supply a car like this is beyond me and is a great embarrassment, concern, and disappointing. To me it shows the incompetency of the concerned people within Ford, who appear to be working without any passion and/or realisation of what is necessary to bring a quality car befitting the market requirements here in Australia.