Ford

Mondeo/Mondeo Estate

With its sleek and dynamic profile, the Ford Mondeo still maintains a magnificent following. When it comes to comfort, safety, top specifications and great economy, it’s easy to see why so many companies opt for a Mondeo.

The good

Excellent value... still

The bad

You'll feel part of a large club with so many on the road

Tech Specs

Price from

£19,995

Combined Fuel up to

78.5mpg

0-62 from

7.9 seconds

max speed up to

149mph

co2 from

94g/km

Test Drive

Ford Mondeo 2.0 Hybrid Electric Titanium 6-speed Auto

If you’re perusing the brochures or searching online for inspiration as to which company car you might like and ‘diesel-gate’ has forced you to think outside the box, then Ford may have the perfect solution with its Mondeo hybrid.

In fairness, the Ford Mondeo has long been regarded as one of the finest fleet cars on the market and with the introduction of hybrid technology three years’ ago, its appeal grew even stronger.

Admittedly, it’s still only a niche market that would seriously consider the vehicle especially with its rather hefty, high-end price tag, but with combined fuel efficiency of 67.3mpg and carbon emissions of 99g/km, it is certainly worth a look.

At present, the hybrid technology is only available on the four-door Mondeo saloon, but Ford recently announced plans to extend it to the estate body style next year. This is because estate models are very popular in the UK and account for about 30 per cent of Mondeo sales.

Our Mondeo hybrid test car was supplied in Titanium trim and carried a £26,395 price-tag, although a few optional extras bumped it up to £27,730. With the Mondeo range starting from just shy of £19.5k it’s fair to say the hybrid version is fairly pricey.

On the technology front, the Mondeo hybrid uses two electric motors – one to support the specially-developed 2.0-litre 187PS petrol engine in driving the wheels – and the other to enable regenerative charging to the 1.4kWh lithium battery which is located behind the rear seats. Regenerative braking can capture up to 90 per cent of the energy usually lost during braking and this is utilised to replenish the battery levels.

It may sound rather complicated but it all runs very efficiently and smoothly and the car can reach 62mph from a standing start in a creditable 9.2 seconds, topping out at 116mph.

It’s a little eerie as the vehicle powers up and pulls away in complete silence, and even when the petrol engine kicks in, the cabin still remains refined with minimal engine noise filtering through. When it comes to performance, the Mondeo Hybrid impresses too. There is ample power on tap to quickly reach maximum motorway speeds and the acceleration is constant through long sweeping country lanes. The Mondeo is also an agile car and proved easy to manoeuvre in busy town centres with vehicles and pedestrians darting out from all angles.

It features a six-speed CVT gearbox and this is slick enough when driven respectfully. But under heavy acceleration, it all becomes a little jumpy, which is often the case with CVT boxes.

The road holding is confident and assured with plenty of grip and the latest generation Mondeo boasts a revised suspension set-up which smooths out most of the bumps, dips and potholes along the way.

Like its Mondeo stablemates, the hybrid looks eye-catching from any angle thanks to its sleek streamlining, sweeping light clusters with front fog lights and LED daytime running lights, rear privacy glass, sculpted bonnet and 18-inch alloy wheels. It looks muscular without appearing over-aggressive.

The interior is chic and upmarket in its layout with impressive comfort levels for all occupants thanks to the 10-way power adjustable front seats featuring premium leather upholstery. The boot capacity is quite small due to the location of the battery behind the rear seats which means the car can only accommodate 383 litres of kit. But there are numerous convenient storage compartments scattered throughout the car, including a generously-sized glove-box, door bins, a central bin, cup holders and a tray in front of the gear lever.

All the on-board technology is simple to access and there is a wealth of creature comforts to explore, including full smartphone connectivity via the SYNC 3 system with an eight-inch colour touchscreen, a Sony DAB sound system, automatic headlights with auto high/low beam, front and rear parking sensors, variable heated front seats and dual zone climate control.

The instrumentation is slightly different from a standard Mondeo and can be customised to show power distribution and regenerative information with green efficiency leaves growing in the display screen to show how economically you are driving or more traditional read-outs. That said; no matter how carefully I drove, the official combined mpg of 67.3 seemed a challenge too far. I was seeing an average much closer to the mid-40s.

But that aside, the Ford Mondeo is a fabulous piece of kit and was a pure delight to drive. It’s packed with safety kit and driver aids which helped it secure the maximum five stars for safety when it was tested for its Euro NCAP rating, making it a safe, efficient and stylish option for anyone who needs to clock up the business miles, but likes to do their bit for the planet in the process.

Test Drive

Ford Mondeo First Drive (2015)

There’s no doubting the success story that is the Ford Mondeo with more than 1.4 million UK sales since launching in 1993 and the latest model really ups the ante.

New Mondeo boasts stylish new looks, better equipment levels, bundles of technology, sharper driving dynamics and improved efficiency – all factors that will put a smile on the faces of the thousands of business drivers who spend hours on end behind the wheel of their trusty Ford Mondeo clocking up the motorway miles.

It is available in three trims – Style, Zetec and Titanium with a luxurious Titanium X pack also on offer. There is a wide range of engines to choose from and prices start from £20,795.

Buyers can select from a hatchback or estate body style with a four-door saloon available on the new petrol-electric hybrid model, but whatever design you opt for one thing is guaranteed – the new Mondeo is sportier and far more eye-catching than the somewhat dated outgoing model.

It’s impossible not to be impressed by the car’s sleek streamlining with a beautifully sculpted bonnet and neat lines that give the car a muscular yet athletic look. There are slim sweeping light clusters, a lowered roofline, raised grille and plenty of chrome detailing. Even the Ford badge has been revised and now sits flush to the bonnet.

Once inside the car, its smart modern approach is instantly evident with a clutter-free layout, plus a whole host of techno treats to be explored. And the higher up the spec gradings you venture the more kit you will find.

There is extra space for all occupants with ample room for two adults to travel in style in the back of the car – three at a bit of a squeeze.

And despite its lower roofline, the seats have also been lowered so headroom has not been compromised.

The new Mondeo marks quite a milestone for Ford as it heralds the company’s first venture into hybrid technology in Europe and although the vehicle is only likely to account for about three per cent of sales, it was definitely worth exploring.

This model uses two electric motors in the hybrid system – one to support the specially-developed 2.0-litre 187PS petrol engine in driving the wheels – and the other to enable regenerative charging to the 1.4kWh lithium battery which is located behind the rear seats.

The hybrid model is only available as a saloon in Titanium or Titanium X grading. We tested the Titanium model with six-speed automatic CVT transmission priced at £24,995 (increased to £25,990 with options added).

This car can reach 62mphfrom a standing start in 9.2 seconds and has a top speed of 116mph. According to official figures it can deliver 67.3mpg on a combined run with carbon emissions of 99g/km. And despite the bulk of Mondeo sales being snapped up in diesel derivatives, this model would be ideal for anyone who does lots of city driving with an official extra urban mpg of 100.9.

However that said, we only managed to see an average economy of just over 42mpg on a two hour route incorporating busy town centres and faster motorways and we didn’t exactly drive the car with a heavy right boot.

Features on the car included 16-inch alloys, sports seats, a DAB radio and sat nav system, automatic lights, cruise control with speed limiter, lane keeping aid, an eight-inch touchscreen with connectivity to all media devices, ambient lighting and plenty more besides.

The Mondeo hybrid powers up and pulls away in complete silence and even when the petrol engine kicks in the noise within the cabin is minimal. Acceleration through the six speed transmission is nice and smooth and there is a constant supply of power on tap. Sudden bursts of pace can be a little jumpy at times which is fairly typical of a CVT but that aside the ride is exceptionally good with the new suspension system ironing out the numerous bumps and dips along the way.

All the on-board technology is very simple to access and the instrumentation can be customised to show power distribution, regenerative information or more traditional details.

There can be a little glare on the touchscreen on a particularly bright day as it is slightly angled within the central stack, but apart from that minor gripe the car was a pure delight to drive.

The all-round visibility is excellent and parking sensors are a very practical plus-point. Another notable highlight on the test car was the Active Park Assist which will manoeuvre the vehicle into parallel or perpendicular bays while you simply accelerate and brake as instructed.

All in all, the new Mondeo is a great piece of kit and there are lots of new safety innovations too, including a pedestrian detection system and inflatable rear seat belts which reduce injuries in the event of an accident.

It is features such as these that have resulted in the Mondeo being awarded the maximum five stars in the Euro NCAP safety ratings.

Mondeo made its UK debut back in 1993 and has always proved a huge success and with 4,000 pre-orders for the new model it would seem Ford is well on its way to reaching this year’s high target of 20,000 sales.

Test Drive

Ford Mondeo (2013 anniversary editions)

It may have reached the ripe old age of 20, but the Ford Mondeo is still as fresh as the day it was first launched.

And to mark such an historic landmark, Ford has introduced two new editions to the already impressive and extensive line-up.

Firstly, there is the Graphite edition which is clearly targeting the private market, priced from £15,995.

This model is richly equipped and includes 17-inch alloys, LED daytime running lights, body-coloured bumpers, door handles and door mirrors, LED tail lights, front fog lights, chrome trim and a spoiler.

And the interior is packed with techno treats such as an excellent sound system with CD player, Bluetooth connectivity, air conditioning, leather trimmed steering wheel and plenty more besides.

But the model likely to grab most attention is the Titanium X Business edition priced from £21,995.

This car boasts 17-inch alloys, roof rails, LED daytime running lights, rear privacy glass, a rear spoiler, Ford’s capless refueling system with fuel inhibitor to prevent putting in the wrong type of fuel, front and rear parking sensors, chrome trim and plenty more besides.

Once again, the interior oozes quality with many techno treats included in the asking price. There is full leather upholstery, a seven-inch touchscreen navigation system, Bluetooth connectivity, a brilliant audio system with DAB radio and compatibility with all modern media devices, dual zone air con, automatic lights and wipers, ambient lighting and plenty more besides.

I tested out the Mondeo Titanium X Business Edition 2.0-litre Duratorq TDCi with 163PS and automatic transmission priced at £28,950 which included £3.5k of optional extras and it lived up to the big build-up.

This particular model can sprint from 0-62mph in 9.5 seconds and tops out at 134mph. According to Ford stats, it can achieve 50.4mpg on a combined run and has carbon emissions of 149g/km.

The car was a delight to drive as have been most Mondeo models through the ages. It was smooth, refined and very quiet, yet had plenty of power on tap when needed as it accelerated automatically through the gears.

One factor that really impressed was the build quality within the cabin where the very finest materials have been utilised to help create a very premium feel.

Over the years, Ford has sold 1.4 million Mondeo models in the UK. It has proved a firm favourite with the armed forces, fire service, police and royalty. It featured in Casino Royale where it earned the nickname of Bondeo and even Tony Blair referred to the vehicle in a key speech when he announced that Labour needed to secure the wealthy businessman’s vote – he referred to those drivers as “Mondeo Man” – a name that has stuck for many years.

Its success story was perfectly summed up by Tim Holmes, Executive Director, Communications and Public Affairs, who said: “It’s not unusual for cars to move with the times, but it is unusual for a car to define the times. Mondeo does that.”

Test Drive

Ford Mondeo 2.5 Ghia Estate V6 Auto

Top-of-the-range spec levels, great value for money and reliability guaranteed – with those credentials it must be a Ford… and indeed it is.

With so many Mondeo models to choose from, even the fussiest of buyers is catered for and the model supplied for my test drive proved the Ford reputation is still very much intact.

The Mondeo Ghia Estate boasted a whole array of creature comforts including Electronic Automatic Temperature Control air con, heated front seats with five temperature settings, rain-sensing wipers, an auto-dimming rear view mirror, front footwell lighting plus plenty more to make any journey that little bit more pleasurable.

And believe me, any journey in this vehicle seems too short because the drive is so enjoyable.

The 2.5-litre engine delivered plenty of power in and around town and despite its length, the vehicle was easily manoeuvred in congested areas.

Then out on the open road, the engine burst into life with the driver comfort assisted once more by the very smooth automatic transmission.

There is plenty of room for five adults and with the massive boot area they can all bring along their luggage requirements.

There are also a number of smaller more discreet storage compartments scattered throughout the vehicle.

The test vehicle was kitted out with a whole host of top notch safety specifications too including anti-lock brakes with emergency brake assist, numerous airbags, anti-whiplash head restraints and a brake pedal that collapses in the event of a heavy head-on collision.

In addition, all Mondeo models are equipped with the Intelligent Protection System. Linked to a network of sensors located at strategic points throughout the car, it keeps a constant watch over driver and passengers. If danger threatens, it assesses the severity of the incident and activates the appropriate safety system in a split second.

Perhaps now it’s easy to see just why the Ford Mondeo remains one of the most popular vehicles on our roads today and why business drivers up and down the country love them.