Look out Falcon, some strong opposition

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Mondeo v Falcon article found on Carsguide

Ford’s sibling rivalry
Ford faces a family feud between two of its cars - Mondeo and Falcon.
Stuart Scott, Carsguide

Look out Falcon, some strong opposition is close at hand — and it wears a Ford badge.
Ford's imported Mondeo range — there is both hatchback and sedan, with a variety of engines and trim levels, and prices starting from $29,990 — is the Australian-made Falcon's baby brother. At least in theory.

But the 'medium-size' Mondeo is an efficient package, so roomy it is almost as spacious as the 'family-size' Falcon. In fact boot capacity is identical.

While the bulkier Falcon offers much more shoulder space, on most other interior measurements they are mere centimetres apart, and the Mondeo manages to win for front leg room.

So the new-look Falcon range, which reaches showrooms in just over a month, faces a family feud, quite apart from its natural enemy, the Holden Commodore. The current-series Falcon starts at $5000 more than the Mondeo range, though that is with a six-cylinder engine versus the base-model Mondeo's four-cylinder power plant.

The lighter and smaller-engined Mondeo is of course less thirsty, but can't match the high-torque thrust that cars like the Falcon deliver.

But really they are worlds apart. The Mondeo — designed in Germany, built in Belgium — is a hot seller in Europe, regarded over there as a worthy rival for cars like the BMW 3-Series.

The new-generation design is a slick-looking wedge of metal, curved and sharply creased in the latest Ford corporate style, yet roomy and practical when you step inside.

It drives just like it looks, sure-footed and capable, with a sophisticated, upmarket air.

Unlike the Falcon, there is a high-efficiency diesel option, or a sporty-ish turbocharged five-cylinder version, with petrol four-cylinder variants in the middle.

The entry-level LX comes only as a sedan, and the top-line XR5 Turbo is hatchback only, but the in-between petrol Zetec ($34,990) and diesel TDCi ($37,990) give buyers the choice of hatchback or sedan bodies, both with slick six-speed automatic transmissions.

As seems to be the case so often these days, the diesel is surely the pick of the bunch. No matter about its $3000 price premium over the Zetec, or the extra cost per litre for its fuel — great economy and refined manners would make it a truly satisfying car to own.

If there is a disappointment, it is that the XR5 Turbo model seems to possess nothing like the exuberant zing found in the compact Focus hatchback which uses the same powerplant.

Also on the minus side, the Mondeo is hardly a household name in Australia and its track record isn't good; Ford's efforts to sell previous versions came to nothing.



Key Points

Ford Mondeo

Details: Medium-size sedan and hatchback with 2.0 litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine (power 96kW, torque 320Nm), 2.3 litre four-cylinder petrol engine (power 118kW, torque 208Nm), or 2.5 litre five-cylinder turbo petrol engine (power 162kW, torque 320Nm).

Cost: LX $29,990 (2.3 litre auto sedan); Zetec $34,990 (2.3 auto sedan or hatch); TDCi $37,990 (auto diesel sedan or hatch); XR5 Turbo $41,990 (manual hatch).

Rivals: Mazda 6, Subaru Liberty, Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, VW Passat.

For: Sophisticated and efficient.

Against: Low profile.

Summing up: Ford's Euro contender





- The Sunday Mail (Qld)