A much different customer
Toyota Camry, Honda Accord and Skoda’s Superb also Laura has welcomed Nissan’s Teana last week. This premium sedan segment is going to have more cars soon. Ford will re-launch its Mondeo sedan and General Motors will enter the segment with Chevrolet Epica. In India, Ford introduced the Mondeo in 2001 and in 2005 Ford launched facelifted version of Mondeo i.e. Mondeo Ghia. The advent of next generation cars such as Honda Accord and Toyota Camry made customers more demanding. Now, customers are expecting not only a aesthetic car but a car with advanced and hassle free technicals coupled with luxury. Ford will launch the new Mondeo in western markets in July 2006 and new Mondeo will head India soon after the launch in western markets.
Engine and Powertrain:
Ford offers 10 types of engines for its new Mondeo with 6 petrol engine option and 4 diesel engine option. But for India Ford may pick 2.0L Duratec – the petrol engine which makes 145bhp at 6000rpm and also a 3.0L petrol engine. 2.0L duratorq(diesel one first time in Indian Mondeo) which generates 130bhp@3500 rpm if launched will hit Skoda laura’s sales heavily. A 2.2L duratorq diesel is also possible to make way to
New Mondeo Design
With a powerful array of global resources and a pioneering team prepared to change everything about developing a new vehicle, Ford has achieved its first digitally created vehicle. The new Mondeo is the first product programme developed using the power of Ford’s intranet/extranet.
Mondeo’s indian cycle-photos:Old Mondeo/Mondeo Ghia/New Mondeo
The new Mondeo is striking and unmistakably a member of the Ford family. It is the latest and most advanced expression of Ford’s ‘kinetic design’. At the front, the model’s distinctive ‘face’ is characterized by its trapezoid-shaped lower grille. This is a ‘kinetic design’ element that is increasingly recognized as part of the new Ford identity. The distinctive front end has chamfered corners and a deep offset between the top of the bonnet and the front wings.
A muscular shoulder line runs through the side of the car to a
Distinctive rear lamps also feature carefully designed graphics that enhance the overall feeling of premium quality. Body-coloured ‘sacrificial panel’ covers the entire width of the lower portion of the bootlid Ford claims this as relatively simple solution for repair in the event of damage.
Luxurious Interiors:
The spacious interior shares the same ‘kinetic design’ exterior language as the exterior. The driver will enjoy the ‘cockpit’ driving position as the higher beltline and flow-through centre console combine to enhance the premium feeling for front seat occupants. CAVE – a special system to optimize the interior visibility is used for the new Mondeo and this ensures better all around visibility for the driver also easy ingress and egress. The Mondeo was always known for its legroom and comfortable rear seats; these are carried to new Mondeo as the spec shows.
New levels of craftsmanship are evident throughout. For example, careful use of ‘piano black’ interior styling accents creates interest and a pleasing feel to key touch areas. Soft-touch material is used extensively to emphasize the quality and refinement of the interior. Interior lighting enhancements include the use of ‘ambient lighting’ to provide a warm amber illumination to the centre console. Additional clear lighting adds a soft glow to the front foot-well areas to provide better visibility when getting into and out of the car.
Advanced Equipements:
Ford’s new Mondeo has four distinct series for the western markets: the Edge, which provides a high level of standard equipment essential for business and family needs; the contemporary Zetec series, and, at the top of the range, the Ghia and Titanium X models.
Advanced new driver-focused technologies are available in the new Mondeo. New Ford “Convers+” Human Machine Interface (HMI) instrument display – a 15cm color display screen which additionally gives visual control of the car’s multimedia and audio functions.
Keyless entry system is coupled with keyless start functions, which dispense with the need for a conventional mechanical key. Instead, the car uses three external antennae to detect the presence of the correct fob within a small boundary around the car’s body. Keyless start detects the key fob when the driver enters the car. The engine is then started with one press of the Power button.
Furthermore, this new Mondeo features Ford’s award-winning Easyfuel system. This guards against either petrol or diesel misfuelling at the filling pump as the fuel filler neck aperture has been specifically designed around the different sizes of fuel nozzles. Ford has engineered its system only to allow the nozzle that matches the corresponding fuel type of the car to enter the filler neck.
What are sorted out?
Poor ride quality and interior quality and luxury also the relatively poor price-to-value are the factors that resulted poor sales of the Indian Mondeo. But in the new Mondeo Ford has sorted out most of the issues. As we have seen interiors are made luxurious in the new Mondeo.
Now, we can see what Ford has made to improve the riding characteristics of the mondeo. Ford has optimized the front suspension design and the steering system. New rear suspension design using a isolated rear sub-frame is also added to the new Mondeo.
Refined Suspension System
Ford has specified the trusted MacPherson front suspension system for the new Mondeo incorporating features to enhance the Mondeo driving experience such as isolated sub-frames, control arm hydro bushings, S-shaped springs and dual path strut mounts. At the rear a new version of the proven multi-link rear suspension design also benefits from an isolated sub-frame mounting system.
Reduced Noise, Vibration and Harshness and Improved Sound Quality
New Mondeo promotes stress-free, relaxed driving through low noise levels which enables easy communication inside the vehicle and optimum use of the internal audio equipment even at high speeds. Ford claims wind noise measured in ‘Ford’s state-of-the-art aero-acoustic wind tunnel’ proves noise in Mondeo is very low in its class, and reinforces the quality ambience of the interior.
For performance and Fuel efficiency also for ride and handling we have to wait till the launch. If the same Mondeo or slightly trimmed Mondeo comes to