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Over the past few days, we've seen a few scanned pics and blurry images surface of the Ford Mondeo Concept. Finally, Ford has released a full photo gallery of the wagon concept, due to be unveiled in Paris next week.
The new Mondeo lifts several cues from the Iosis concept that debuted in Frankfurt, which, according to Ford, is defined as 'kinetic design'. The wagon sports an aggressive front fascia, with very pronounced air dams that compliment a set of tautly drawn headlamps. Aft of the a-pillar is typical wagon fare, donning a strong crease in the beltline, which flows into an equally aggressive LED taillight arrangement. Beginning with the S-MAX and Mondeo, Ford maintains that this new "face" of the Blue Oval's European line will carry over to all its models over the coming years.
Ford sought to give the interior a more spacious layout, along with additional technology that seeks to set a new standard for mid-size people movers in Europe. The most pronounced feature is the Human Machine Interface (HMI), which mounts a screen between the two analog dials on the gauge cluster and, through the use of switchgear on the steering wheel, can control audio, sat-nav and other "infotainment" features.
As for power, buyers will have the choice of both 1.8-liter and 2-liter Duratorq TDCi diesels, along with a 1.6-liter Duratec or, for a more engaging experience, the 2.5-liter turbocharged mill out of the S-MAX.
Unfortunately, that's all the information Ford will release before the Mondeo's unveiling at the Paris Motor Show. We'll be there to give you all the juicy details and some great shots, next week.
[Source: Ford]
PHOTO GALLERY
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
Robert @ Sep 22nd 2006 2:39AM
Dear Ford Motor Company,
Sell this in the US! Sell this in the US! Sell this in the US!
Thank You
thomas Davis @ Sep 22nd 2006 2:44AM
I think it is time that ford brings over the Euro stable of cars to North America (Focus RS, Mondeo, etc.) and take a risk corporatly and fiscally that we are intelligent enough to comprehend a sensible auto, period!
GM, Ford! wake the F-up! It is not about the F series anymore!
Supercujo @ Sep 22nd 2006 2:49AM
Now that isa a classy family truckster...
As cool as a Dodge Magnum, without the horrendous fuel bill.
Jim P. @ Sep 22nd 2006 3:04AM
With Ford losing their ass in N.A. but making a profit in Europe and elsewhere..hmmmmmm...I wonder if cars like this new Mondeo have anything to do with that. But we get the plain looking Freestyle. I don't think it takes a Philadelphia lawyer to figure out that people in Europe are buying Ford products. And since Ford is lacking in the car segment, doesn't it make sense for them to bring some of these over? I'd buy that Mondeo in a heartbeat. HELLO FORD?
Talis @ Sep 22nd 2006 3:05AM
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!!!!! I would SOOOOO buy this Ford!
Yaroukh @ Sep 22nd 2006 3:15AM
Jim P. #4: And for how much you would buy it?
Sam @ Sep 22nd 2006 3:30AM
This car looks sooooo good and will change a lot of peoples' perceptions of the Ford Motor Copany in America....Please import this Euro model and the euro focus over here....if nothing else, it will increase the value perception of the Ford Brand.
That interior alone will raise some eyebrows, I love it!!!!!! Bring it to the U.S. of A!
tim @ Sep 22nd 2006 3:59AM
Ford can't bring this car here, just like it can't bring the Focus, either. Why? Price. The Mondeo starts at £14,995, which sounds like a bargain, right?
WRONG. That's 28k. For a base model. Top spec model, the ST 220, rings up at $46,000. While Americans love to pay more for higher quality, the Mondeo can't compete with the Camry/Accord/6 crowd that it would be compared to.
Gundar @ Sep 22nd 2006 4:08AM
8. Ford can't bring this car here, just like it can't bring the Focus, either. Why? Price. The Mondeo starts at £14,995, which sounds like a bargain, right?
WRONG. That's 28k. For a base model. Top spec model, the ST 220, rings up at $46,000. While Americans love to pay more for higher quality, the Mondeo can't compete with the Camry/Accord/6 crowd that it would be compared to.
-------------------------------------------------------
And that attitude that they "can't" do it - that Americans are too stupid to pay more for a quality Ford product - is precisely why Ford Motor Co. in the USA is losing money and market share. If they DON'T start bringing some of these products over here, Ford WILL fail in North America.
Corey @ Sep 22nd 2006 4:18AM
Tim - As a comparison, you can't simply just take the exchange rate and convert car prices into USD. For example, a BMW 325 here in the states start at around $30K. If you go to bmw.co.uk and try to price out a 325 there, you'll see it starts at ~26K GBP, which is almost $50K USD.
As a better comparison, I would compare cars' prices within the same geographic area, e.g. what % of a Mondeo is a 325 in UK? Let's say it's 50%. If we took 50% of a 325 here in the states, you'll see the Mondeo would be relatively priced at $15K, which is extremely competitive.
PJ @ Sep 22nd 2006 4:20AM
"Ford can't bring this car here, just like it can't bring the Focus, either. Why? Price. The Mondeo starts at £14,995, which sounds like a bargain, right? WRONG."
The list prices you see on Ford's UK website include England's VAT (Value-Added Tax), which tacks on 17.5% right from the get-go.
The fact is, most cars which are sold in both the US and the UK sell for almost the same numerical figure. That is, a Chrysler 300 that sells for ~30,000 pounds also sells for $30,000 USD.
No more excuses. Get the C2 Focus here *yesterday*, and the new Mondeo not long afterwards. I've driven a few of Ford's UK offerings, and they would easily propel Ford into the black if they'd only update their factory tooling and bring them Stateside.
Punkey @ Sep 22nd 2006 4:32AM
And it doesn't apply anyway. I have the latest issue of Top Gear in front of me, and in the back they have listings for every car sold in the UK, including price. Let's see what we get:
VW Golf Mk5 GTI: £20,360 UK base, $21,990 US base
Subaru Impreza WRX STI: £27,040 UK base, $32,995 US base
Mercedes-Benz SL55 AMG: £99,000 UK base, $129,575 US base
BMW 550i SE: £44,110 UK base, $58,500 US base
Seen enough yet?
Graham Lunn @ Sep 22nd 2006 4:39AM
Historians may look back at 2006 and say why did anyone buy anything other than a Mondeo in 2006, they look good, ride well, do not go wrong, they seat 5 in comfort and they are cheap to buy and to service.
I ran 60 of the old style modeos as taxis in an english city. All had the 1800 Durateq turbo diesel which gave 50 mpg and ran to 300,000 + miles without needing any work other than clutch replacements.
Matthew King @ Sep 22nd 2006 4:49AM
You guys have the US Ford Fusion and Ford Edge. They look good and are cheaper than the euro vehicles. Take pride in the American-style three bar grill.
However I do feel you guys are little short changed by not getting the new generation Focus.
Apparently the Euro Focus and and new Mondeo share the C1 architecture. This architecture is/will be used by Ford Europe, Mazda 3 and next Mazda 6, Volvo S40/V50, Landrover LR2, and a Jaguar crossover (to replace the X-type). Presumably this architecture is slightly more expensive than the old Focus and Mazda 6 / Ford Fusion/Edge architectures. Apparently it is very flexible and can accommodate I4, I5, I6, and V6 engine configurations.
I figure the next generation US Focus, US Fusion and Edge will eventually transition to the C1 architecture (between 2008 and 2012). All 3 of these vehicles will need to share the same architecture to get the cost down.
DPC car videos @ Sep 22nd 2006 5:04AM
Awesome looking car, the front en and the wheels rock and the seats are great too.
Rees @ Sep 22nd 2006 5:38AM
That Looks Like the Ford Isois
Russ @ Sep 22nd 2006 6:24AM
#16: The Iosis was the concept for the new Mondeo. You'll probably see a lot more of the Iosis design in the sedan and hatchback when they are revealed.
Next they need to get to work on making a production version of the Visos concept - a new Capri! If America can have a funky, retro-styled Mustang, we should get an equally funky new Capri!
Thomas @ Sep 22nd 2006 6:40AM
It's not as simple as just doing a currency conversion to determine the U.S. price.
The Modeo WAS sold in the US for a few years... remember the Contour? Ford's problem is that they don't think Americans will respond to a car unless it has outrageously bold styling, and they think this is confirmed by the slow sales of the Five-Hundred.
HEY FORD! The Five-Hundred isn't selling cause it's underpowered, and it has a snow-mobile transmission! The Contour didn't sell because it looked like it's designers were high on E!
.T @ Sep 22nd 2006 6:57AM
Why doesnt Ford learn from GM and bring these vehicles over as Mercurys? Its not like Mercury has anything going for it. It could be like what GM is doing with Saturn.
Russ @ Sep 22nd 2006 7:09AM
#19: It's a good idea, but I doubt they'd go for it... Mercury is supposed to be one of Ford's two luxury brands, and, to Americans, luxury usually equals size. This is probably the reason there was never a Mercury version of the Focus to replace the Escort-derived Tracer. The new Mondeo looks like it's only about the same size as the current US Fusion/Milan, and they've already filled that slot.