Ford has revealed the all-new fifth-generation Mondeo sedan, slated to go on sale in China first. We had reported about the Mondeo making a comeback as a new sedan in November last year.
After a series of leaks on the internet, Ford has officially revealed its reinvented Volkswagen Passat rival at its China Design Centre in Shanghai, presenting it as a showcase of Ford's new design language for the region.
- New Mondeo to be China only for now
- Gets a totally new design language
- Could be sold in other markets in future
New Ford Mondeo: What's to know
The Mondeo went on sale in China in 2002, nearly a decade after it launched in Europe. The model was also sold in India from 2002 to 2006.
The new Mondeo is the first model to be designed according to the Ford's new 'Progressive Energy in Strength' philosophy, which aims to blend Ford's 'rich heritage' and 'iconic designs' with the preferences of its Chinese buyers. The three defining characteristics of the new ethos are "commanding, agile and responsive", according to the brand.
Set to begin deliveries in China during the second quarter of 2022, the new four-door saloon will be produced in a joint venture between Ford and Chinese firm Changan. While European sales of the new Mondeo have been ruled out by Ford, suggestions are it could be sold in the US as a replacement for the Fusion, although details on where North American models would be sourced is yet to be confirmed by Ford.
The new Mondeo draws heavily on its recently launched Chinese-market sibling model, the Evos crossover, for design inspiration. A similar design language was to be used for the India-bound SUV from Ford that would've shared its platform with the Mahindra XUV700.
New Ford Mondeo: exterior and interior
Key design elements include an octagonal-shaped grille, slim LED headlights connected by a light band within the leading edge of the bonnet, separate daytime running lights and an A-shaped graphic for the air duct within the lower part of the front bumper.
Further back, the new Mondeo features a contoured bonnet, large wheelhouses housing wheels up to 19-inch in diameter, structured flanks with flush-fitting door handles, a coupé-style line roofline in a contrasting colour to the rest of the body and, as on the Evos, feature lines within the trailing part of the rear doors and rear quarter-panels.
The rear is characterised by its short deck, Mustang-inspired tail-lights (also connected by a full-width light band) and a bumper featuring an integrated diffuser. At 4,935mm long, 1,875mm wide and 1,500mm tall.
Although we’re yet to get a look at the interior of the new Mondeo, Chinese sources confirm that it will receive the same basic cabin architecture as the Evos. Included is a dashboard housing a 1.1-metre wide display. It consists of a 12.3-inch digital instrument display and a separate 27-inch infotainment touchscreen.
It runs Ford's new Sync+ 2.0 UX system bundled with a Baidu-developed software packaging, offering a virtual assistant together with over-the-air software-update capability, Level 2 driver assistance functions and car-to-X technology.
Ford's India plans
With Ford having pulled the plug on its manufacturing operations in India, the carmaker is gearing to move towards a CBU-only line-up from its international portfolio, with the Mustang and Mustang Mach-E confirmed to arrive in the coming years. Ford is also working on a strategy to retain more than 90 percent of its dealership network here.
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