Ford's Mondeo Gets A Make-Over

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• Enhanced exterior and interior styling
• New driver safety technologies and equipment
• Petrol and turbo-diesel engines available; Powershift® six-speed dual-clutch automatic available with diesel power

Ford today announced its award-winning Mondeo will arrive in Australia later this year with a number of enhancements.

These product enrichments will bolster the critically acclaimed Mondeo, a model range renowned for its blend of styling, comfort, ride and performance. New, state-of-the-art safety features head the list of changes, along with new standard equipment and enhancements to exterior and interior styling.

"I am delighted to announce these enhancements for the popular Mondeo," said Marin Burela, Ford Australia President and CEO.

"The Ford Mondeo is already an excellent example of balancing the right mix of equipment and technology with the right price in a car that is beautifully designed and packaged. These generous additions simply build on this winning formula.

"Despite its ongoing sales growth now is the right time to make it an even more compelling choice for new-car buyers," he said.

New driver safety features
Underlining Mondeo's reputation for class-leading technologies will be the addition of several new safety-related functions, many of which can usually only be found in far more expensive European automotive brands.

These new features are:

- For Mondeo Titanium TDCi

• Driver Alert – on-board driver drowsiness detection system which calculates specific driving parameters to monitor driver vigilance and alertness.
• Lane Departure Warning (LDW) – a camera-based system which monitors the road ahead and warns the driver if their car unintentionally wanders out of its road lane.
• Adjustable Speed Limiting Device (ASLD) – this simple switch mounted on the indicator stalk allows the driver to set the car's maximum speed when driving.
• Automatic High Beam headlights – this system constantly assesses the ambient light ahead of the vehicle and automatically adjusts the headlights from main- to high-beam when conditions become dark enough. Conversely, when lights from an oncoming car are detected, the system automatically switches back from high- to main-beam.

- For Mondeo Titanium and Titanium TDCi

• Blind Spot Information System (BLIS) – detects vehicles travelling in the driver's visual blind spots. This system uses two bumper-mounted radars to detect vehicles in these locations and alerts the driver with a warning light in the corresponding rear-vision mirror.
• LED Day Time Running Lights (LED DTRL) – a first for this segment (according to VFACTS Medium <$60K) these two striking arrays of LEDs (Light-emitting Diodes) are fitted to the front of the car; not only do they add an impressive visual touch to its looks they enhance the car's visibility to other road users.

These features join Mondeo's already-impressive standard five-star ANCAP safety arsenal which includes seven airbags (including side curtain airbags and a driver's kneebag), Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) and Emergency Brake Assist (EBA).

Sharper style and new equipment
Mondeo's sleek form has been sharpened by Ford's skilled design team. Its new style further emphasises Ford's Kinetic styling philosophy, a design language which conveys ‘energy in motion’ through athletic stance and muscular surfacing. The resulting changes are subtle and add more appeal to Mondeo's good looks.

Joining these exterior enhancements will be revisions to Mondeo's already-rich standard equipment. These are listed below.

- All models – New Features

• New bonnet design
• New upper and lower front grilles
• New front and rear bumper bars
• Revised tail-lights
• Mirror-integrated indicators
• New front fender bezel
• New tailgate and deck-lids
• Glass-mounted antenna (deletion of roof-mounted antenna)
• Passenger seat lumbar support
• Wagon cargo area courtesy lamp
• Woven headliner
• Sliding cover for centre console
• New interior décor with satin black audio surround
• New polished chrome scuff plate (wagon models only)

- Mondeo LX – New Features

• Power front and rear windows (available from February 2011)
• Centre console sliding cover
• Passenger seat lumbar support
• Power two-way driver's seat height adjustment
• New 16-inch steel wheel cover design
• Body-coloured door handles

- Mondeo Zetec – New features

• 17-inch alloy wheels in a new design
• Front interior reading/map lights

- Mondeo Titanium – New features

• Driver Alert (TDCi only)
• Lane Departure Warning (TDCi only)
• Adjustable Speed Limiting Device (TDCi only)
• Automatic High-beam headlamps (TDCi only)
• Blind Spot Information System
• Updated high-series HMI (Human Machine Interface; dash-mounted head unit)
• 18-inch alloy wheels in a new design
• New body-styling kit (includes new front and rear bumper skirts and new side rocker panel mouldings)
• Unique upper and lower front grilles
• LED daytime running lights and unique fog lamp kit
• Enhanced interior lighting
• Anodised aluminium-finished roof rails (Titanium wagon only)
• Cloth-covered B-pillar interior trim

Engines and transmissions
The MC Mondeo will continue to offer Australian customers the choice of four-cylinder petrol and turbo-diesel power.

Turbo-diesel power will come from Ford's highly efficient 2.0-litre Duratorq 16-valve turbo-diesel engine. This impressive unit ensures the Mondeo LX Hatch achieves a fuel consumption rate of only 5.9-litres per 100km*1 – making it more fuel-efficient than a Toyota Camry Hybrid. It also makes for spirited driving, producing maximum power and torque levels of 120kW and 340Nm. This TDCi engine will be optional for all models except for Mondeo Titanium wagon where it is standard fitment.

Partnering this impressive diesel engine is Ford's Powershift®six-speed automatic transmission. This technically sophisticated gearbox uses clutch technology, a transmission design normally found in much larger, more expensive vehicles. This advanced gearbox delivers the best of both worlds: the fuel economy and responsiveness of a manual and the convenience of an automatic.

Standard equipment on all MC Mondeo models (except Titanium wagon) will be Ford's 2.3-litre Duratec petrol engine. This 16-valve unit produces a peak power level of 118kW and a maximum torque of 208Nm. Combined-cycle fuel consumption is 9.5-litres per 100km*. A six-speed torque-convertor-equipped automatic transmission backs this efficient power unit.

Both of these four-cylinder engines are fitted to the current MB Mondeo range.

Australian sales release and prices

The MC Mondeo range will arrive in showrooms in November this year, with the exception of the Mondeo Titanium Hatch and Wagon which will be on-sale in December. Recommended prices will be announced closer to the time.

At a glance: MC Ford Mondeo model range









Source: Ford Media