Ford Mondeo 2007 News

Hot on the heels of the Australian government's mandatory Takata airbag recall, Ford, Audi and Tesla have joined the list of carmakers to detail which of it's models are affected.

Ford's groundbreaking inflatable rear seatbelt makes its Australian debut in the all-new Mondeo.

Development costs were very high mainly due to the completely new design. But given Ford’s financial instability at the time, the company needed a big change to help turn things around.The new car featured class leading ride and handling, sophisticated suspension design and the latest safety additions including a driver’s side airbag, side-impact bars, seat belt pretentioners and ABS, as standard.Reworked over four generations to date, it wasn’t until it’s MkII phase in 1995, that the Mondeo made its way down to Australia. But it wasn’t a sales success. Australians preferred the bigger Falcon and unlike today, saw no need for a medium sized car in the range. The Mondeo struggled against established Japanese models like the Subaru Liberty, the Honda Accord and another Euro import, the Holden Vectra.In 2001 Ford Australia withdrew from the medium car segment claiming that it was in a decline, and the Mondeo was dropped from the range until it resurfaced in 2007 with the MkIV.Consequently, Australia completely skipped Mondeo MkIII; arguably an era when the car made its most significant improvements. It got larger, which addressed the lack of rear leg room - a major gripe over its lifetime - and the interior became more European. MkIII also introduced a new Duratorq diesel engine that was much more capable and competitive than the engine it replaced.Ford Australia reintroduced the Mondeo in 2007 due in large part to the popularity of smaller, more fuel efficient and environmentally friendlier cars, and with it the growing global dislike of larger ones. It has been marketed here as a stylish car with more than just good looks and is sold in a sedan, hatch and now, a wagon version.This time round sales have been good, even despite problems with parts supply from Europe, and the Mondeo has won numerous awards in Australia.The latest model comes with both diesel and petrol engines, and a choice of four trim levels, and Ford are currently considering an ECOnetic example for the Australian market.For more information on late model Ford Mondeos, see our list of related articles above. 

Two months after Ford Australia fixed a potentially dangerous brake defect on some versions of its Territory, the company is now recalling its Focus and Mondeos to check problem with brake vacuum pumps. The recall for the LV Focus and MA Mondeo, built since last year, only affects those with a diesel engine. Ford says under certain conditions the supply of vacuum to the brake booster may be reduced causing a hard brake pedal and increase stopping distances. Ford is contacting known owners by mail. In March, Ford recalled more than 83,000 Territories to fix a brake hose defect which was uncovered by Carsguide after complaints from readers.    

 Take any model range, pick out the four-cylinder diesel variant for contrast and comparison with its naturally aspirated petrol four sibling. And what happens? The oiler will almost always make the gas sucker look ordinary. Actually, axioms are usually a bit shorter and pithier than that. Yes, of course it should go without saying that a blown engine will be the more potent, but it's taken a while for punters to realise that diesel doesn't mean clouds of black smoke or huge, uncivilised SUVs (“city” and “civilisation” derive from the same root, so keep big SUVs in the bush). Apart from superior fuel economy, a big torqueing turbo diesel is often the more enjoyable drive than the atmo petrol wearing the same badge and toting near-equivalent capacity. A few weeks ago we said it on this very site, endorsing Hyundai's i30 CRDi over the petrol variants. Ditto Holden's Astra. And it holds equally true for the other end of the market in the form of BMW's Series. The 320d (for diesel) just flat out destroys the 320i. If this is not always the case — we'd still have a Mazda3 SP23 over the 3 oiler — it's becoming the case more often than not. Another affirmation has been Ford's Mondeo TDCi hatch which, at $37,990 in this or its sedan form, is worth every cent of the three grand premium over the dozy Zetec petrol version. The latter is utterly knackered by its combination of globulous weight and underwhelming 118kW four pot (potterer?) engine — the superseded Mazda6 has more go, let alone the new one. Yet the TDCi does more with more. Weighing in at just over 1600kg, it's not so very far away in displacement from the BF Falcon. If the 2.0-litre 96kW/320Nm Ford/PSA joint venture turbo diesel driven through a sharp six-speed automatic doesn't quite make light of it, the TDCi seldom feels unwieldy. The official claim for the Zetec's combined conditions fuel use is 10.5 litres per 100km, but we found ourselves nearing that while observing the speed limit in freeway conditions. By contrast, the diesel was doing 10.7 in the peak hour grind and you'd be confident of matching the 7.3L/100km combined claim. Its 0-100km/h figure is north of 10 seconds, but rolling acceleration is what this Mondeo is all about, an area in which the big hatch delivers as emphatically as we've come to expect from quality European diesels. Unlike some of these, though, the Mondeo excels dynamically. Steering, handling and ride are to the fore of the front-wheel-drive middle class. Of course, the Mondeo is so large and practical with that roof-hinged rear door, that it really deserves to be seen as a fully fledged family car. Indeed, it's not so much a case of the Mondeo taking it up to the Europeans as being rather too good for the new Falcon's sake.   Snapshot Ford Mondeo TDCi hatch Price: $37,990 Economy: 7.3L/100km Engine: 2L/4-cylinder turbo diesel; 96kW/320Nm Transmission: 6-speed auto, front-drive    

Carsguide.com.au reader Pat Reeves has emailed in with this question: Thanks Pat, good question. Despite the "medium" label, the Mondeo is essentially about the same size as the Falcon. A couple of millimetres here and there makes little practical difference. Ford calls it "medium-sized" in Australia to try and create some distance between the Falcon and Mondeo, to try and attract medium sedan buyers and avoid cannibalising Falcon sales.Ford Australia finds itself in this position because the Mondeo is a true 'world car' - a common platform from which large manufacturers try to meet the needs of very different consumers, in very different markets.The Ford Falcon has been amongst the biggest-selling car models of all time, but practically all of those sales have been in Australia and New Zealand, so the Falcon is a "large sedan" designed and built for the Australian market, where we like our family cars like we like our takeaway meals - supersized.The Mondeo, on the other hand, is a true 'world car.' It's based on a manufacturing platform used not just for building Mondeos but also Ford's S-MAX and Galaxy people-movers, several Volvos and even the Land Rover Freelander.The engineering ingenuity that allows several companies to spin out a variety of models from one set of underpinnings is impressive, but it can't hide the basic dimensions and weight of a platform used to build a Land Rover (even the softest one).Outside Australia and New Zealand, there's no such thing as a Ford Falcon. In Europe, with its narrow streets, heavy traffic and small families, a Mondeo is considered a big family sedan (a medium family is happy in a Focus, a small family in a Festiva with a roof box...) So outside the US and Australia, it doesn't really matter how big the Mondeo is - it's meant to be the biggest. It's only in Australia that Ford has a problem.Not such a big problem really. Big is generally better these days; newer technologies mean they can add interior space and even weight to a car and still have it return improved economy and performance.Big though it is, the Mondeo's a great car to drive, and a long way ahead of the current model Falcon on most criteria. Take one for a test drive (particularly the diesel) before you spend too much more time with the tape measure. As you slip neatly through another slippery roundabout without the body roll and rear-end slip of a Falcon you'll wonder how they could make a people-mover and a Land Rover out of something that handles so well. It boggles the mind.

BMW 335iSubaru Impreza RSMitsubishi Lancer VRFord Mondeo ZetecThe rollout of the Carsguide Car of the Year finalists continues this week with another four of the best cars launched in Australia this year.Ford's Mondeo, which has taken Europe by storm, goes head-to-head with the all-new Mitsubishi Lancer, BMW's 3 Series sedan fired by the cracking twin-turbo six and the Subaru Impreza, which is the only car other than the Citroen C6 in Australia with five-star passenger and four-star pedestrian safety.For all the latest on the carsguide Car Of The Year each week go to www.carsguide.com.au/car-of-the-year 

Featuring the same 2.5-litre five-cylinder turbo unit from the XR5 Focus, the new Mondeo XR5 underscores just how seriously Ford is taking its third attempt to launch a Mondeo in Australia.Previous attempts suffered from the cars being ageing models and an apparent lack of interest from the Blue Oval's marketing division.This effort, Ford says, is the real deal.“Mondeo will introduce new levels of style, refinement and safety to the medium size segment and set a new benchmark for how a car should drive,” says Ford Australia president Tom Gorman.The new range is on show at the Australian International Motor Show, which started yesterday.Boasting peak power of 162kW at 5000rpm and with maximum 320Nm of torque available from 1500rpm; all the way through to 4800rpm, the Mondeo XR5 is available only as a six-speed manual at $41,990.The Mondeo range includes petrol and diesel in two body styles, four-door and five-door hatch, and starts with the LX six-speed automatic at $29,990. Mondeo is the first production iteration of Ford's 'kinetic design' philosophy displayed on various concept cars.“The best way to describe kinetic design is to think about a sprinter at the starting blocks, tilting forward and poised for action; it's all about creating an athletic and purposeful stance,” Gorman says.From the base LX the Mondeo's safety package includes dynamic stability control, seven airbags including driver's knee bag, ABS, emergency brake assist and electronic brakeforce distribution. 

Good news for Ford ahead of the release of its Mondeo medium-sized car later this year: it has just been named British car of the year.Editor-in-chief David Johns described it as “Ford's finest ever car”.“Each and every model, whether hatchback, saloon or estate, has been designed and engineered to the highest standards. The car oozes quality, especially in the cabin which has levels of equipment and comfort which sets new standards for the class.”Ford Australia public affairs brand manager Edward Finn said such prestigious awards were like gold.“It will certainly go some way towards emphasising the class of the new model well ahead of its arrival in Australia,” he said.Other winners in the Auto Express awards included Honda Civic (best compact family car and best hot hatch for the Type R), Citroen C4 Picasso (Best people mover) and Kia for its industry-leading seven-year warranty.The new Mondeo, which featured in the most recent James Bond movie, will be its third incarnation in Australia, with the other two dismal sales failures.Ford Australia has not yet confirmed which models or specs we will get, but it comes in sedan, hatch and wagon in Europe with a host of standard features such as electronic stability control and an 'Easyfuel' system which has the fuel cap in the filler cover.Advanced features include adaptive cruise control with forward alert, interactive vehicle dynamics control with hill launch assist, and a tyre pressure monitoring system.It comes with a wide range of petrol Duratec engines from 1.6 to a 164kW 2.5-litre and a 1.8 and two 2-litre Duratorq diesel engines with five and six-speed manual transmissions and a six-speed auto.Finn said they had confirmed in March that the two-litre turbo diesel would be one of the power train options, but he would not elaborate.He said that depending on the model selected, Mondeo would be available in sedan or hatch bodystyles, with manual or automatic transmissions and one of three different trim levels.“After having driven Mondeo when living in New Zealand, I'm hugely excited about it coming to Australia and am anticipating big things of it,” Finn said. 

As Australia's new car juggernaut rolls on towards the magic million sales mark, the number of available models continues to swell. Already recognised as one of the most diverse and competitive car markets in the world, Australian importers continue to add to the mix.With half the year nearly gone, buyers have taken almost 500,000 new vehicles into their garages with some of the traditional biggest selling months still to come.At least three new marques will arrive in Australian showrooms in the second half of  the year; Hummer, Mahindra and Skoda,  testament to the vibrancy of what is, in world terms, a minor market.However, it is the expanding model range within existing brands that will drive the Aussie market over the million mark for the first time.Over the next six months more than 50 new or revised models will arrive in Australian new car showrooms. Here's a look at what's coming soon:ASTON MARTINDip your lid in style in September with the V8 Roadster, a gorgeous extension of the Vantage. AUDI Audi starts its end-of-year program in September with the R8, the biggest, baddest Audi in the garage The Supercar looks with enough performance to keep most on their toes. Also on the cards for October is the A5, Audi's first coupe since the TT. An all-new platform which comes as a front-wheel-drive and quattro. In November the V8 4.2 TDi may answer some questions for the Q7, including on fuel economy. BMW You'll have to wait until October for the new M3, but the latest offering from the M garage has something special. It's the first V8 for an M3. CHRYSLER A Sebring convertible, topless cousin of the sedan launched in early 2007, arrives in December. DODGE The Nitro SUV joins the Caliber for Dodge next month and the US marque backs that up with its Avenger sedan in August. FIAT The baby Ritmo, sold as the Bravo in Europe, will be Fiat's second passenger offering in Australia when it lands in October. Expect petrol and diesel. FORD The rush to oil-burners continues with the Focus getting the honour of being Ford's first passenger diesel next month before the Focus CC, the drop-top concept that set hearts aflutter at Frankfurt two years ago lands in October. The other big news for Ford is the return in November of the Mondeo for a third tilt at Australia. HOLDEN The key second-half model from the General is the VE Ute, bringing all the developments in the VE sedan to the working man's Holden. HONDA The Civic Type-R is razor-sharp styling built around a high-revving fun package. Next month. HUMMER The iconic offroader from the land of the large truck opens its Aussie account in October, a couple of months later than anticipated as a result of production delays for the H3. Surprisingly agile with real offroad ability. HYUNDAI An important second-half for the Korean marque. It starts with the popular Santa Fe SUV finally getting the 3.3-litre V6 from the Sonata to give it some extra punch. In October, the new Elantra hatch joins the sedan in the Aussie line-up after a wait of almost 12 months. JAGUAR An October styling refresh for the marque's luxury sedan, the XJ, is all from the Big Cat this year before a big 2008. JEEP The second of Jeep's non-Rubicon Trail-rated soft-roaders arrives in August to join the Compass for duty around town. KIA The Carens compact people mover has never really taken off here. The new generation is a little bigger and more stylish. It will be powered by a four-cylinder petrol or diesel engine with five- or seven-seat capacity. On sale in October. LAND ROVERThe baby Freelander gets a complete makeover for this generational change. New engines and a new family look all go on show in July. MAHINDRAIndia's workhorse ute, the Pik-Up, starts to roll out to Australia in July. MAZDA A new generation and a new look for the little Mazda2. Sharper styling is the key to this one's October debut. At the same time Mazda will add a diesel option to its top-selling Mazda3 range. MERCEDES-BENZThe key model for Mercedes this year is the meat-and-potatoes C-Class. Bigger, brighter and ready to meet the masses it is available from July. Also on Mercedes' new-model list is an upgraded ML500 and R-Class in September, both getting the 285kW V8 engine. October is a big month for the three-pointed star with the crackingCL65 AMG (a bi-turbo V12 with 450kW and 1000Nm) and the more sociable S320 CDi, which marries diesel with uber-luxury. MITSUBISHI You have to love a fighter. Australia's “other” family car, the 380, wins a minor refresh with some interior updates from next month. In August the automatic turbo diesel, traditionally the model's top seller, completes the Triton range while in October the point guard for the red-hot Evo X (due late in the year), the new Lancer, promises look-at-me-styling and more punch than the current model. NISSANThe baby Micra finally gets the green light for Australia with an October date with sales. In November the X-Trail, a core model for Nissan and the compact SUV that set the benchmark for those who actually can go off-road, gets a full generational change. The Dualis arrives in December. A softer option to the X-Trail, it sits on a similar platform but is more plush. PEUGEOT It's all about size for the French manufacturer. In July the 207CC, the previous generation of which set the standard for accessorising small cars, is back and promising to reclaim the crown. Its far more focused and athletic sibling, the GTi arrives in August with its turbocharged 1.6-litre engine. The station wagon derivative of the base 207 goes on sale in October. PORSCHEThe 911 turbo cabriolet proves Porsche's belief that if you can go fast in a sedan you should be able to go just as fast in a cabriolet. In September you can prove it for yourself. RENAULT August sees the Megane diesel join the Renault fleet, while the Clio Sport returns in November in an all-new guise. SAAB The new 9-3 will highlight Saab's first all-wheel-drive system in a completely renewed model range. All models arrive in November. SKODA Launches into Australia with a two-pronged attack in October. The Octavia medium-sized hatch and the quaintly named Roomster compact MPV will carry the flag initially. SMARTIn September the next next-generation smart ForTwo arrives, a little bigger and a little smarter. SUBARU The new Impreza is one of the most polarising styling departures of the year. In basic and WRX fettle the hatch arrives in September. A cult car heads mainstream and the jury is out. SUZUKIIf it ain't broke ... A freshen-up for the car that put punch back in Suzuki's local range, the brilliant Swift is in showrooms in October with the sedan version of the SX4 “tall hatch” joining the stable in September. TOYOTA The first product from Toyota's new “hot shop”, the Aurion TRD, arrives in August with a 3.5-litre supercharged V6 with sports manners and a load of plastic kit. Also in August is the generational change for Kluger with the SUV getting a substantial facelift and the 3.5-litre V6 from the Aurion. November brings the Landcruiser 200 Series and a TRD version of the HiLux. VOLVO The highlight for the Swedes in the second half of the year is the all-new generation of the XC70 due in November. About the same time the C30 will get the in-line five-cylinder diesel. VW A hot version of the Passat, the R36, is heading Down Under in November.