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.

Mondeo XR5 Turbo
Released: October 2007
Ended: October 2010
Family Tree: MondeoMATING the third-generation Mondeo’s finely balanced chassis with Volvo’s gutsy 162kW/320Nm 2.5-litre five-cylinder turbo-petrol unit might sound a tad daft, but it provided one of our favourite sleeper models of recent memory.
The Mondeo XR5 Turbo felt and drove like a car from the next class up, thanks to superb steering, handling and body control, as well as one of the sweetest six-speed manual gearbox applications in any family sized hatch.
But despite widespread acclaim, there-in lay this model’s problem – inexplicably there was no automatic gearbox option for the sort of clientele this Mondeo would attract.
Xenon headlights and a sunroof were also included in this spirited and exciting package for July 2009’s near-invisible MB makeover, but not too many people cared, sadly.
Ultimately, strict emissions regulations killed this drivetrain, so the XR5 Turbo was dropped in late 2010 with the MC facelift. What a pity!
Facebook Twitter Instagram