Wednesday 8 October 2014

2014 Ford Mondeo TDCi 180 Titanium first drive Review | Autocar

2014 Ford Mondeo TDCi 180 Titanium first drive <b>Review</b> | Autocar

2014 Ford Mondeo TDCi 180 Titanium first drive <b>Review</b> | Autocar

Posted: 07 Oct 2014 01:06 AM PDT

What is it?

This is the all-new Ford Mondeo. The fleet favourite is new from the ground up, sharing most of its architecture and tech with the US-built Fusion saloon. However, the European Mondeo is arriving here a full three years after its American cousin went on sale, due to alterations to production plans.

It also arrives after what we're told is significant revisions to make it palatable for a European audience. This 'tailoring' in Ford-speak includes substantial changes and improvements to interior quality.

It will go on sale in January as a five-door hatch, saloon and estate. At launch we'll have the choice of a 2.0-litre turbodiesel engine, in two outputs, plus 1.5-litre and 2.0-litre petrol turbo EcoBoost engines, all allied to either a six-speed manual gearbox or an optional six-speed automatic. Shortly afterwards, more frugal and more powerful petrol and diesel engines will be added to the line-up, as will an all-wheel drive option.

Later in the year we'll also have the novelties, for this class anyway, of a 1.0-litre, three-cylinder option and a petrol-electric hybrid, both of which should also be attractive options for anyone paying company car tax – hugely important for most Mondeo clientele.

The Mondeo is the first Ford to use a new integral link rear suspension set-up, although it retains MacPherson struts up front. It's also the first Mondeo to have electric power-assisted steering that can be adapted to match the adaptive damper system, which can be switched to Comfort, Normal or Sport for the first time.

Inside, it gets the latest generation of Ford's Sync infotainment system and has a suite of optional safety technology to bring it in line with rivals, including pedestrian detection, lane keeping assist and rear seatbelt airbags.

So it's an attractive package, but it will have a tough time on its hands. The new Mondeo is arriving late to a party that will shortly include a brand new Volkswagen Passat, a refreshed Vauxhall Insignia with new engines and a revised Peugeot 508.

It is also centre stage in a class that is rapidly declining as private and company buyers alike are finding more favour in SUVs, small premium saloons and increasingly spacious cars from the class below.

What is it like?

This is a car well suited to chewing through large numbers of miles. At motorway speeds it's impressively quiet, isolating you well from the twin irritations of road and wind noise. The 178bhp 2.0-litre diesel hatchback that we were driving is hushed, even under heavy acceleration, too.

Completing the picture is the high-speed ride quality that is supple, quiet and well controlled in any of the three suspension settings. More so, actually, than most of its more aggressively sprung German rivals. Yes, around town you feel a few more thumps, but again they're impressively muted.

Predictably, this new found high-speed plushness has taken a toll elsewhere. Successive Mondeos have lost sharpness and this one doesn't handle with quite the precision or alacrity of the last. In truth, you do feel the extra weight, but you also revel in just how such a large car can feel quite so nimble – helped through direct and well weighted steering. That said, you rarely derive huge enjoyment from pushing it hard, which is a more of a shame when you consider its lineage.

The comfort carries through into the cabin. The new touchscreen infotainment system is among the best in the business. Seat comfort, too, is first class, as is the fact that it's feasible to accommodate five six-footers in the cabin and their luggage – one of the main benefits of the new car's added width and wheelbase length.

Great pains have also been taken to improve the quality of all the bits you touch and feel. In the main it's been a success, with far more attention to detail and craftsmanship than we've seen in any Ford before. One or two things may jar, though, namely the poor-looking metallic-type plastic surrounding the centre console and the fact that the heating and fan controls are push buttons rather than the easier to use rotary knob variety.

Should I buy one?

Most of us are unlikely to be funding a new Mondeo with our own money so this decision will be partially decided by the monthly contract hire payments and whether you can afford the company car tax.

Assuming that these are as advantageous as the outgoing car - or even more so – then it remains a terrific tool for the job,  In fact, it's easy to argue that it will serve most of us better for most of the time than the equivalent Audi A4 or BMW 3-series, let alone a Vauxhall Insignia.

That said, there's the looming presence of the all-new VW Passat to also contend with and we won't know for sure until both of them have been tested on home turf.

But for now the new Ford Mondeo maybe more comfort oriented than ever before but be in no doubt it's an excellent car.

Ford Mondeo TDCi 180 Titanium

Price £24,245; 0-62mph 8.3sec; Top speed 140mph; Economy 64.2mpg; CO2 115g/km; Kerb weight 1579kg; Engine 4cyls, 1997cc, turbodiesel; Power 178bhp at 3500rpm; Torque 295lb ft between 2000-2500rpm; Gearbox 6-speed manual
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