Ford Mondeo teaser concept

The lowdown

This is another one of those ‘concept’ cars that isn’t a concept car at all. According to Ford the Paris motor show star gives a glimpse of what we might expect from the next Mondeo, but they’re not fooling anyone: the sheetmetal is pure production new Mondeo. Premium: that’s the look and feel Ford wanted. So the new car is better looking, better built and safer too. The real production car makes its debut at the Geneva salon next March before landing in showroom that spring priced from £16,000.

Design

Pretty bold isn’t it? Well, for a Mondeo anyway. It’s the first real example of Ford’s new design language, ‘kinetic’ design. The thinking is that recent Fords have all been great to drive but just haven’t managed to articulate that ability through their exterior design. The current Ford Focus is a case in point. So Ford phoned in SOS to Martin Smith, the man responsible for revitalising the Astra and, more recently, the Corsa. Smith joined Ford as design boss two years ago but the Mondeo is his first full project. Recognise the features? They’re straight from Smith’s Iosis concept car we first saw at Frankfurt this time last year but packaged in a slightly more sensible body. The twin trapezoidal front grilles, swept-back lights and kicked up waistline will all appear in future Ford models in some form or another. As will the taller, bluffer front end mandated by pedestrian impact rules that demand space between the bonnet and the engine. This one’s the estate – we’ll have to wait and see if ford gives it a poncy Avant-like tag – but the new Mondeo will come in four-door saloon and five-door hatch guises too. And just to stick it to the competition Ford will push all three body styles out at once.

Under the skin

Ford vows that the new Mondeo will be the best car in its class to drive – just like today’s model. It shares components with the S-Max/Galaxy and new Volvo S80. Expect trademark Ford handling from the chassis: the multi-link rear suspension, with optional adapative damping, is claimed to dial out understeer. The crash structure has been developed by Volvo, with variable grades of steel used to optimise impact absorbtion at both high and low speeds. Engines are mounted across the nose and send power to the front wheels via six-speed manual and automatic transmissions. Tantalisingly, the chassis is four-wheel drive compatible. Ford promises that the new range will remain affordable. By sharing the CD architecture of the new MPVs and building all three cars on the same line, improved economies of scale should benefit Ford, its dealers and customers. With Volvo and Land Rover joining the party, the alliance could get close to 1m units a year from the architecture. The gadget count will also be high. Ford promises some new features in addition to the active cruise control, tyre pressure monitor and Bluetooth compatibilty, all introduced on the S-Ma x and Galaxy. As for engines, the usual headline makers like the warbling 225bhp 2.5-litre petrol five from the Focus ST and the beefy 2.0 TDCi turbodiesel will grab the attention but there will be plenty for every pocket, including a 1.6-litre petrol (probably great if you want to be overtaken by dog walkers), a fleet special 1.8 TDCi and a 2.0-litre petrol. But despite Ford’s recent pledge to get seriously green over the next few years, a hybrid Mondeo is not in the pipeline.

The engine room

The inside story

This is the best Ford interior since the Cortina 1600E’s. Expensive-looking slush mouldings abound, flashes of silver lighten the tone and the huge LCD readout sited between the two main instrument dials on top-spec models humbles anything Audi or BMW is offering. The show car’s lairy orange leather upholstery probably won’t make it to the showroom but essentially what you see here is what you’ll get next spring. The rear bench is flat enough to mean seating for five is a real possibility and the graphics on the sat nav screen are fresh and modern. But the concept’s huge full length glass roof won’t be making the leap.

Anything else?

The production car won’t appear until March’s Geneva show and will hit showrooms shortly afterwards. But we’ll be seeing the Mondeo again before that: it features in the next James Bond film, Casino Royale. New Bond Daniel Craig will drive a five-door in the prequel before he becomes a fully-fledged double-o agent and switches to an Aston DBS.