27.6.2011 Ford Mondeo 1.6 TDCi Edge review

Ford's best selling business car, the Mondeo, has been given a mid-life facelift and a raft of new high tech equipment including driver fatigue monitoring, lane departure warning and an automatic lighting system which uses a forward facing camera to select high or low beam. There's also a blind spot alert system, borrowed from Volvo, a practical rear view parking camera and optional speed limiter and adaptive cruise control.

But beware, as with some other sat nav systems, this one isn't always correct when telling you the speed limit. As with previous Mondeos, it drives well and doesn't look badly priced. The previous model has built a good reputation for reliability.

Review by Russell Bray for nextgreencar.com

PERFORMANCE

The 1.6 litre diesel engine develops 114bhp and a useful 199 lbs ft of torque from 1750 to 2500 rpm so you need to make good use of the six-speed manual gearbox at times. Acceleration to 62 mph takes 11.9 seconds and top speed is 118mph. Motorway cruising is relaxed. Despite these modest figures, lightly laden at least, the car feels brisk enough. The engine is fairly quiet most of the time. Automatic transmission is available on the 2-litre 140 and 163bhp engines only, however, fuel consumption on the combined cycle is 53.2 mpg compared to 65.3 mpg for this car.

HANDLING

The Mondeo has always been a sweet handling car on the road, whether you choose hatchback or estate, and that hasn't changed. For a big, front-wheel drive car it's agile with good feel and weight to the steering, strong road-holding and nicely progressive brakes. Depending on the model you can select sport, normal and comfort settings for the suspension.

BODY STYLE

EU rules are turning cars into Christmas trees for, I suspect, the long term safety of motorcyclists whose headlamps are less noticeable as a result. The Mondeo has LED running lights in the front bumper and the rear lights. Ford has re-profiled the front grilles and bonnet and there are side vents on the front wings. The Mondeo is now a big car and I think looks more elegant in estate form. Luggage volume is 540 litres for the hatchback and 1,740 litres maximum for the estate. Length is 4784mm and width is 1886mm.

COMFORT & CONTROLS

The instrument panel has been given a more fashionable look and energy-saving LED lamps are also used for the interior lights. Road and wind noise is muted and the diesel growl you hear has been artificially enhanced for more involvement and sporty appeal. The sound is not as artificial as that in an Aston Martin, a company until recently owned by Ford.

Some of the switchgear is slightly tacky/garish in 'The Only Way is Essex' style. The suspension can be adjusted at the push of a button but in reality, the standard set-up will be ideal for most drivers, so you're better off saving your money.

MPG & RUNNING COSTS

Though the Mondeo is a more dynamically enjoyable car to drive, and feels lighter afoot, it loses out to Peugeot's great looking new 508 on the economy front despite turning in 56.5 mpg on the official urban test, 72.4mpg on the extra urban and 65.7mpg on the combined cycle. Carbon dioxide emissions of 114g/km put the Ford in band C with annual road tax of £20. The warranty is three years/60,000 miles, and service intervals are every 12,500 miles.

GREEN CREDENTIALS

Mondeo drivers can improve their fuel efficiency using an information display which suggests methods based on their driving styles and recent journeys. Flaps in front of the radiator adjust automatically according to speed and temperature to change the aerodynamic flow over the front of the car and optimise engine cooling for greater fuel efficiency. The battery has smart regenerative charging. Automatic start-stop is fitted as standard.

OPTIONAL EXTRAS

You get the usual power assisted steering, electric windows all round and mirrors, but metallic paint is £495, alloy wheels are £350 and rear parking sensors a whopping £450. Satellite navigation is a hefty £1,700. Cruise control helps reduce stress and save fuel on long motorway hauls. There's a new look centre console with cup-holders under a sliding cover in front of a large storage box. The lid on the fold-down rear armrest seemed pretty weak.

MODEL SUMMARY

Model tested: Ford Mondeo 1.6 TDCi Edge
Body-style: Five-door hatchback or estate
Engine/CO2: 115bhp 1.6 litre turbo diesel / 114 gCO2/km
Vehicle Class: Large family/ business car
Trim grades: Edge, Zetec, Titanium, Titanium X, Titanium X Sport

On-road price: £19,795
Warranty: Three years/ 60,000 miles
In the showroom: Available now
Review rating: 4.0 STARS