I have been swamped with things recently. Aside from trying to get a business venture off the ground, the usual work related activities and the usual family matters there have been an onslaught of automotive related events over the past few weeks here in and around the Klang Valley. A heck of a lot of automotive related companies has decided to make sure their product is launched, made aware of or previewed before the fasting month of Ramadan.
I attended or was invited to car launches, battery launches, website launches, this and that events all related to the automotive industry. There were also those that I was not invited to go but even so I am glad I wasn't as I wouldn't have a life aside from the automotive industry. That would be ridiculous, as I do believe in having a holistic lifestyle and one which does not only revolve around cars, buses or trucks. A man needs his other hobbies too you know. As well as lots of other indoor and outdoor toys too.
In between all of that, I was handed the 2015 Ford Mondeo 2.0L GTDi EcoBoost for a few days to evaluate. And evaluate it I did. The only problem was the time I needed to bash out a review due to the amount of stuff happening. Of course, now that everything has now slowed down slightly due to it being the month of Ramadan, this review is back on track. Oh, the trials and tribulations of life. I could just be giving excuses here in order to convince myself why this review is taking its sweet time.
So I suppose you just just ignore the three paragraphs above then as the actual review of the Ford starts here. The 2015 Ford Mondeo was very recently launched in Malaysia. It is the fourth generation Mondeo and we only had the pleasure of receiving the one prior to this model previously. This Mondeo however is based on the American 2013 onwards Ford Fusion with a very liberal dose of European Ford engineering (that we are more used to) thrown into it. Styling of the car builds on the previous generation Mondeo with the latest Ford corporate styling. This means that it has the same styling cues as the smaller Fiesta and Focus that we see on our roads.
The Ford Mondeo we get is the 2.0L GTDi Ecoboost in the 4 door sedan body. Over in Europe, they get the option of a 5 door hatchback as well as a station wagon. The Mondeo there also comes with various powerplants ranging from the 1.0l Ecoboost petrol we see in the Fiesta, a 1.6l Ecoboost petrol and three turbodiesel engines – 1.5, 1.6 & a 2.0. They have a hybrid sedan too. Here, the Mondeo comes with one engine and transmission option, the 2.0liter direct injection turbocharged 4 cylinder engine that makes 240ps and 345Nm torque with a 6 speed automatic driving the front wheels.
The Ford Mondeo's styling is basically an evolution of the previous generation Mondeo. It gets Ford's current Aston Martin like corporate grille and features a long streamlined look to it. The styling differs slightly from the earlier model in that it is less fussy in nature and more cohesive looking. It is a big car and it runs on a 235/50/17 tyre and wheel combo that surprisingly does not make it look undertyred. I think it is down to the low and rakish design coupled with that curvy roofline. That Aston Martin-esque front end also makes it truly handsome at most angles. One of the nicer looking large sedans on the market today.
The interior is more upmarket than I remember any Ford model to date. It is said that Ford has spruced things up with the Mondeo so that buyers over in Europe would come back to the brand for their large family cars. The dashboard isn't too fashion forward like in some Fords and is quite mature and business-like in nature with high quality plastics, materials that are good to the touch and look good too. There is a nice to grasp steering wheel and other controls. The doors have a nice weight to it as well as a nice thud when you close it.
There are only two real gripes I have with the well designed interior (which is a step or two more premium than before). The first is that is looks a little bit plain even if the material quality is there. If Ford wants to win back customers from the lower priced and more premium badged German rivals, a little bit more aluminium trimming or piano black stuff here and there would be good. There is only a little piano black surrounding the gear lever and the muted 'titanium' trim surrounding the centre console, vents and door handles could be made a little brighter in terms of tone. The plastic around the large multimedia display and the climate controls could have also had some extra garnishing. It could be a little too sombre to be truly attractive.
The second little aspect is that luxury or premium products should not have advertising on it. There is no doubt in my mind the Sony touch screen multimedia system with its Microsoft SYNC based software works and sounds wonderful. But I would prefer if Ford used a smaller font for the Sony logo located just under the screen. I feel is a little too much product marketing. The same goes to the metal plaque stating Microsoft Sync on it. The only marketing it would actually need is that customers tell that the systems work fine, sound great and is easy to use. It's like wearing that Polo Shirt with the horse plastered all over your chest. The big one that you can find these days. Not the tiny horse that's almost invisible. Premium products shouldn't need to shout out it's worth. It has to be subtle in doing so.
Anyway, everything else works well inside the car. Interior space is more than adequate. Larger than some other cars in the market. Being a Ford packaging and space utilisation is excellent. Even though there is a full sized spare tyre, boot space is wide and long. The all important driving position is good, I would prefer that the seats go an inch or so lower but when you're actually driving the car, visibility is great all around and there is a commanding type of driving position which starts feeling natural when you are driving the car.
Driving the Ford Mondeo
On the move the car is very quiet. And because of that it is deceptively slow. Ford Europe have changed its philosophy when it comes to how it makes large sedans. I think this is due to the fact that this Mondeo is a global car. This means it has to cater to the American market as well as the Europeans and us Asians too. What the Mondeo has evolved into is something that is very refined but does not have that pin point accuracy in terms of steering over the previous model.
This car is supremely quiet and hushed. I think that it is on par with something like a BMW 5 series or a Mercedes E-class in terms of rolling comfort and noise levels. The suspension is taut but comfortable. The Mondeo's suspension actually breathes so well that is can handle most of the road undulations, dips and crests at speed with ease. And this is with the passive, non adaptive suspension setup that is sold here in Malaysia (there is an option over in Europe). Ride and body control are also so good that in both long sweeping corners or tight ones with dips and crests are handled with ease. No crashy suspension or the need to really over concentrate when on a fast B-road drive.
The only bugbear I could actually notice is the rubbery EPAS (Electrically Power Assisted Steering). The first in a Mondeo. It (of course) lacks feel but it is also a tad bit rubbery off centre. Not the most feelsome tool for the job but it is accurate. I personally put accuracy and weighting over feel and at least Ford got part of it right. There are some other large sedans with better steering than this. So there is room for improvement here in the next generation of when it is time for a facelift.
The most surprising thing about this car is the overall refinement. The levels are high. Maybe this is why it feels a little subdued compared to previous large Fords. What I mean by high can be highlighted in the fact that when I first got into it and started driving, it did not feel like it had 240ps, 345Nm of torque to play around with. Everytime I floored the throttle and accelerated from a start, the car felt like something pedestrian. Something that did the 100kmh dash from naught in about 9 seconds instead of the actual 7 seconds when I actually timed it. I think the comfy ride, the hushness and that normal torque convertor gearbox lulled me into thinking that this was a normal uncle-mobile. I was wrong.
The Mondeo also has a traditional torque convertor gearbox instead of a fancy dual clutch setup like the previous model. It actually makes the car have smoother but slightly slower gear changes. This actually suits this Mondeo's more refined and premium demeanor. I think haing a traditional automatic assists in the car's overall refinement and premium feel instead of asserting an overtly sporting drive like the previous model. But then again, this gearbox actually downshifts for you in aggressive driving (no need to play with its flappy pedals which are there if you want to do so) and also shifts up and down quickly for an automatic, so it isn't some lazy automatic. It may lack the immediacy of the dual clutch, but I like the trade off that such a traditional gearbox gives you - added reliability and refinement (as who the heck blasts around B-roads most of the time in a D segment car in Malaysia).
But how slow would the gearbox be if 0-100kmh was achieved slightly under 7 seconds and cruising at 180-200kmh was achieved relatively easy. In and around the newly opened Mitsui Factory Outlet in Sepang the car demolished the undulating (and bumpy) roads with ease. Yes, that steering was a little rubbery, but that chassis breathed the roads with ease. I was having a normal conversation with a friend of mine and we were hitting the sweeping corners without flinching or having the need to concentrate hard. It is a very, very engaging car once you get the feel of it. Again, its the refinement that disguises the Mondeo's capabilities.
This car has layers which you would need to peel away before it shines in terms of ride, handling and performance. I could get used to living with one for a while.
So therefore, the Ford Mondeo is like an onion. Get beneath the skin, start peeling away and its all the goodness is there. Of course, unlike an onion, the Mondeo also looks good in a parking lot. Top marks for the car then.
The only large issue is the price asked – RM203,711.20 on the road with insurance (less if you have full NCB). With competitors in the D segment coming in at under RM140,000, it could be a tough sell. But if you are actually in the market for something stealthy, quieter and faster than most of the D segment cars selling from RM140,000 to RM205,000. Nothing new can touch this. In fact, if you are one of those who want something as refined as any of the German brands sold today but without the branding, (both in the compact executive – C-class or A4 or the D segment Executive – E-class, 5 series sized) this is as quiet, drives just as well as those mentioned and is cheaper.
Pros: Good looks, quality interior, good refinement, good handling, engine performance is strong
Cons: Some product advertising from the infotainment and software systems makers that Ford should forego, rubbery steering, more luxury trimming would be good, price is the highest among the D segment aside from the luxury German brands
Conclusion: A brilliant effort by Ford. Wish it were cheaper to procure.
Specification
Engine - 2.0L 4 cylinder turbocharged
Transmission: 6 speed automatic
Power
240ps @ 5300rpm
345Nm @2300rpm - 4900rpm
0-100kmh - 6.9seconds (tested)
Top Speed: 240kmh (manufacturer's figures)
Fuel consumption (combined) : 10.3l/100km (tested) 8.0l/100km (claimed)
Equipment
7 airbags, ABS, EBA, ESC, HLA, TCS , adaptive cruise control, dual zone climate control, lane keeping alert and aid, rear view camera, Sony infotainment system, microsoft SYNC II, adaptive LED headlights
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