IT HAS taken a long time but it seems Ford has finally struck upon the right formula for increasing Mondeo sales.

While Toyota and its Altona-built Camry can still rest easy at night, Ford’s Belgian-built mid-sizer is making inroads against most other rivals with its combination of good looks, great packaging, keen pricing, high specification levels and diesel availability.

Now the only real weak link in the series – the smooth but slightly undernourished 118kW 2.3-litre four-cylinder engine – is ousted in mid-spec Zetec and luxury Titanium hatch models for a lower-output version of Ford’s fascinating new EcoBoost 2.0-litre direct-injection turbo-petrol four, which will soon power the homegrown Falcon.

And you know what? It’s so good we only wish it were available in other variants like the wagon.