The traditional middle segment is under pressure. The medium-sized sedan / hatchback / station wagon with only combustion engines has to fight for its survival. Ford seems to be making a radical change of course to make the successor to the once successful Mondeo a ‘world car’ again, because the world is changing.
Whether you like it or not, two things are extremely important in 2021 to be successful as a car manufacturer: a ‘high carriage’ and electrification. Almost all recently unveiled cars, with a few exceptions, are crossovers or SUVs and have (partly) electric drive. The current Ford Mondeo does not live up to the prevailing fashion image. If we disregard the hybrid variant for a moment, it continued the traditional course of its predecessors. The sales figures show that consumers now expect something different from a larger model. In the past ten years, the Mondeo no longer exceeded a market share of 0.77 percent, while the previous type was still good for a market share of 2 percent. In fact, the first Mondeo even made it to 3.15 percent in the peak year 1996.
So something has to change to remain relevant in the larger segment and that is why Ford is now resolutely taking a different approach. To start with the appearance. Spy photos show that the Mondeo successor will have a different line pattern than we are used to. You guessed it, he gets crossover influences. In Techzle 7 we already showed that Citroën is also taking this approach with the new C5. The Ford is higher off the ground and exchanges its traditional shapes for an SUV-like carriage. Behind the fairly high and blunt nose follows a gradually ascending and sloping roofline at the back. It is somewhat reminiscent of the Mustang Mach-E. American influences in the design do not come out of the blue, because the new ‘Mondeo’ should in all probability as Fusion in the US will attract buyers. There, Ford – with the exception of the Mustang – sells nothing more than SUVs and pick-ups, so the change of course is also important for the American market to make the Fusion successful again.
Electrification
Anyone who thinks that Ford is somewhat surprised by the changing world and is now responding ‘quickly’ with the new middle class, is wrong. The Evos Concept from 2011 was probably already partly a harbinger. Although that was a study model for the current Mondeo, its higher coupé-like carriage was already a nice hint at what is now coming. This also applies to the technology, because the Evos was a plug-in hybrid. As we know, a Mondeo with a plug is still not there, but that is about to change. The successor comes on the market with mild hybrid engines and plug-in hybrid powertrains. A fully electric version cannot be ruled out either, although that is still a bit of guesswork. Who knows, it may come at a later stage.
It may all take some getting used to for die-hard Mondeo enthusiasts, but we are not finished talking about the changes. It is now known that the Mondeo successor will be given a different name. After all, a completely new chapter for Ford’s mid-sized car also justifies a name change and in this case, too, we take the concept car from 2011 again: Evos. Whether it will be the Ford Evos or something else, there is plenty of change in the air. We will probably already get to see it in full glory this year, we expect the market launch in 2022.