Cars we’ll never see again: Ford Mondeo

The change in the taste of motorists, who prefer SUVs and crossovers, has also caused Ford to stop manufacturing Mondeo. The flagship of the American brand, after four generations, is forced to give way to the bodies most desired by consumers and electric vehicles. The Blue Oval has already announced an investment of more than 20 billion euros in the electrification process, with the aim of consuming two million electric cars per year by 2026.

In the old continent, the production of Mondeo ended in April last year, while again in 2022, the fifth generation was delivered only to the Chinese market. This version is equipped with a 2-liter, 238 HP and 376 Nm torque turbocharged gasoline engine from Changan Ford; it reaches 225 km / h and has an eight-speed gearbox and front-wheel drive. The new Ford Mondeo is also sold in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar as the Ford Taurus.

A success story that began in 1993

The Mondeo, which belongs to the D segment, is debuting at the Geneva Motor Show in the country March 1993 as Sierra’s successor. It is produced in Belgium, in Genk, in four-door, five-door sedan and station wagon versions. The renewal of the first series began in 1996, while the second generation was presented in 2000, the third in 2007 and the fourth in 2014. It is one of Ford’s most successful, as well as the first of the brand to be considered as a global car, i.e. intended to replace various cars in the world. Five million copies were sold and it helped revive the brand’s fortunes, after years of losses.

The fact that it is the only car in its class to have a driver’s airbag as standard has enabled it to achieve great success and win “Car of the Year 1994”. Other strengths of the Mondeo are the large interior space for the same size compared to the Sierra and the modern exterior line at the time, with the rounded shapes characteristic of the cars of the 1990s. In addition, the interior is as well maintained as the top models it can count leather seats, on-board computer, electric sunroof and alloy wheels. For 1995 the safety update comes with front airbags, side impact bars, seat belt pretensioners and ABS as standard in the Ghia version. The Mondeo uses three 16-valve versions of the new Zetec engines: 90 bhp 1.6, 115 bhp 1.8 and the new 136 bhp 2.0 and Endura-D 1.8 turbodiesel.

More security with the second generation

The second generation arrived in October 2000 as a sedan with two or three volumes and SW: it was larger than the original and more refined in the interior, where the first American design gave way to the German one. Quiet safety remains at the heart of Ford’s policy: the body of the car is more resistant and the “Intelligent Protection System” (IPS) is introduced, a system of sensors capable of determining the best combination of safety by activating or not the front airbags. , side or curtain. For active safety, ABS and EBD arrive on all versions, with ESP as an option. The 1.6 Zetec engine is gone, while the 1.8 and 2.0 have been revised and renamed. Duratec. The Endura-E 1.8 turbodiesel gives way to the more modern Duratorq 2.0 with direct injection (TDDi) with a variable geometry turbocharger.

Travel computer in the third series

The third generation, presented in the second half of 2006, also stars in the film James Bond Casino Royale. At 188.6 centimeters it is wider than the previous version and uses a new engine: gasoline, we get 125 HP 1.6-liter, 145 HP 2.0-liter, 161 HP 2.3 new 16v with 6-speed automatic transmission and gearbox. Turbo 2.5-liter 5-cylinder with 220 HP original Volvo. Among the diesels there are 125 horsepower 1.8 TDCi, 140 horsepower 2.0 TDCi, both with 6-speed manual gearbox and with 6-speed automatic/series gearbox and 175 horsepower 2.2 diesel. The cabin is more modern with a Ford Human Machine Interface (HMI) and an instrument cluster with a 5-inch (130 mm) LCD display for the trip computer display.

All-wheel drive and fourth generation

The fourth generation Mondeo will go on sale in Europe from autumn 2014 and, for the first time, it will show four wheel drive, which can also be combined with diesel engines and automatic transmission. LED lights and seat belts and the possibility of an integrated airbag are other novelties. The petrol engines are 998 cm³ three-cylinder with 125 HP, 1499 cm³ four-cylinder with 160 HP and 1999 cm³ four-cylinder with 203 HP, 240 HP and 187 HP, the last in hybrid version. All diesels have four cylinders: 115 HP 1560 cm³ (released until May 2015), 120 HP 1499 cm³ (from May 2015), 150 HP, 180 HP and 210 HP 1997 cm³. All engines are available with a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission.