Sydney show: Mondeo comes in under $30,000

TRUE to form, Ford Australia used this morning’s Australian International Motor Show opening to showcase not concept cars but imminent production models in the new Mondeo range, a new-look XR Falcon line-up, a limited-edition Craig Lowndes-badged XR and next month’s Focus Coupe-Cabriolet.

Headlining the list of Blue Oval announcements today was the surprise confirmation that its Belgian-built Mondeo line-up will be launched next week with a sub-$30,000 starting price.

Despite its European design and engineering, the entry-level LX sedan (complete with six-speed automatic transmission) undercuts key mid-sized rivals like the Subaru Liberty by coming with a $29,990 pricetag.

Next up in the all-auto Mondeo range is the Zetec sedan, which costs an extra $5000 at $34,990 – the same price as the five-door Zetec hatch. Both the diesel-powered Mondeo TDCi sedan and hatch will cost $37,990, while the range-topping hatch-only Mondeo XR5 Turbo will be priced at $41,990.

Mondeo options will include prestige paint ($350), voice control with Bluetooth ($450), a “Cruise Pack” for the LX comprising cruise control, rear power windows, 16-inch alloys and a leather-wrap steering wheel ($1500), a sunroof ($1900 – not available with LX) and leather trim with heated front seats ($2000 – Zetec and TDCi variants only).

Standard across the entire Mondeo range will be ESC, ABS, EBD, EBA, full-length side curtain airbags, a driver’s knee airbag and a capless refuelling system.

Ford also announced pricing for the Focus Coupe-Cabriolet, which will follow the Mondeo on sale in November. Designed in Germany and styled by Pininfarina, the new Focus hero will carry a $45,490 sticker price in five-speed manual form (plus $2000 for the four-speed auto).

Officially, Australia’s Focus CC, whose two-piece folding hard-top roof opens or closes in 29 seconds at the push of a button, will be powered by a 107kW/185Nm 2.0-litre Duratec four-cylinder petrol engine.

Ford also confirmed the CC will come standard with twin front and twin front side airbags, ESC, ABS, EBD, EBA and a Rollover Protection Device (RPD). Also standard is dual-zone climate control, automatic headlights and wipers, heated/power mirrors, a chilled glovebox, an eight-speaker six-CD Sony sound system, heated leather sports seats and a leather-wrapped steering wheel.

Ford says 18-inch alloys will be optional (instead of the standard 17s) and claims best-in-class luggage capacity of 534 litres with the roof up (248 litres with it down).

Meantime, Ford’s volume-selling Falcon also came in for attention in Sydney via a new-look XR sedan and a limited-edition XR Ute – details of which were announced last week – while Ford’s recently facelifted Focus range, which now opens at $19,990, was also on hand.

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