In March 2022, Ford will stop producing the Mondeo after nearly 30 years. Time to look back on where it all started for Ford’s mid-range car.
Ford started production of the Mondeo in 1992, which was marketed as a sedan, hatchback and station wagon. The Mondeo replaced the Sierra as Ford’s mid-size car. Where the Sierra was also available as a three-door hatchback, this body style disappeared from the Mondeo. In terms of its exterior dimensions, the Mondeo was not even very different from the Sierra. The Mondeo sedan was just 1.4 inches longer and 4.9 inches wider than the outgoing Sierra sedan. The Mondeo was also 3.5 centimeters lower and the wheelbase was extended by 9.6 centimeters to 2.7 meters. That resulted in a car that had the wheels slightly more on the corners. In America, the Ford Contour and the Mercury Mystique were on the same basis as the Mondeo.
Ford Mondeo
In terms of design, however, the Mondeo differed much more from the Sierra than its dimensions. Where the latter was quite angular and square, the Mondeo had much more rounded lines. In fact, he shared almost nothing with his predecessor. In the interior, too, the Mondeo broke with the angular shape of the Sierra’s dashboard. For example, the meter housing was much more integrated with the rest of the dashboard and also had rounded lines, while the clarity of the center console also increased. In addition, the more expensive versions had things like a CD changer, on-board computer, an electric sliding roof, leather upholstery and electrically operated mirrors and windows on board.
Ford Mondeo
The Mondeo was initially available with a range of petrol engines and one diesel engine. The 90 hp 1.6i four-cylinder formed the bottom of the range, while the 170 hp 2.5i V6 was the topper. In between were the 116 hp 1.8i and the 2.0i with 136 hp. So the power jump to the V6 was quite big. Diesel engines had to make do with the 90 hp 1.8 TD, Ford had no other options at the time. The first generation of the Mondeo lasted until 1996. From the outset, the Mondeo sold quite well in our country. From 1993 to 1996, 48,027 copies of the Mondeo rolled out of the showroom.
Facelift, or not?
In 1996 the Mondeo got a facelift, but it differed so much from its predecessor in appearance that you could almost speak of a completely new model. Still, the Mondeo ‘Mk II’ under the skin was largely the same as its predecessor. The wheelbase remained the same, but in the case of the sedan it grew 7.5 centimeters in length. The design of the front and rear lights was significantly changed, but the rear lights of the Estate remained largely the same. The Mondeo also got a more powerful top version in the form of the 205 hp ST200.
The major facelift of the Mondeo.
The Mondeo Mk II was not a generation change in the purest sense of the word. With the introduction of the second generation of the Mondeo in 2000, things really changed. The middle class got a much sharper appearance and the mediocre space in the back of its predecessors was also addressed. The engine range started with a 1.8 with 110 hp and the ST220 with 226 hp 3.0 V6 was the top model. The number of available diesels also increased to three units. The Mondeo was still available as a hatchback, sedan and station wagon, a tradition that continued with the introduction of the third generation Mondeo in 2007 and the fourth generation in 2014.
Clearcutting
However, the clearing started with the facelift of the fourth-generation Mondeo in 2019. It was initially available as a hatchback and as a station wagon in our country, but the hatchback disappeared from the range fairly quickly. Now only the Mondeo Sedan and Wagon are available with one powertrain: the 187 hp hybrid. Next year around this time, the curtain will also fall for that model. If we include the sales figures of recent years in our country, then this step is not very strange. In 2020, Ford sold only 542 units of the Mondeo, compared to 772 units in 2019. A shadow of the sales numbers of the first generation.
Ford Mondeo Hybrid
In total, Ford has sold 173,865 Mondeos in the Netherlands, placing the model in fourth place behind the Escort, the Fiesta and the Focus. Since 2001, there has already been a clear change in the success of the Mondeo and Ford has not been able to convert this downward trend. Ford has a successor in the making that may have to fill the gap of the Mondeo, but that model will be completely different in design.