Ford Vignale Mondeo not for Oz

VIGNALE heritage has been resurrected by Ford with its new Mondeo mid-size range, but it is not likely to make an appearance on Australian showroom floors.

While United Kingdom Ford customers are given a personalised service that includes a Vignale relationship manager, 24-hour free phone assistance and a dedicated phone, the flagship variant for the new Mondeo in Australia remains the Titanium.

Ford Australia brand communications manager Neil McDonald said the high-end Mondeo is not on the Blue Oval's local radar.

“We’re not getting it, we’ve got Titanium at the upper end of the range so that’s where we’re sitting with that,” he said. “We’re happy with Titanium as the flagship and I wouldn’t have thought that we could do an option pack given the cost-competitive nature of the segment.”

The Titanium has the same safety features – including rear inflatable seatbelts, active city stop and pre-collision assistance with pedestrian detection automatic braking systems – as the Vignale and only misses out on the active noise cancellation system, which uses cabin-mounted microphones and the car’s audio system to counteract cabin noise.

“We’ve thrown quite a lot of kit at the Mondeo and the Titanium sits well against its competition,” he said.

The Ford Vignale Mondeo four-door sedan and wagon are the first to be introduced as part of the car-maker's new Vignale sub-brand, that boasts “hand-finishing” by six master craftspeople of each vehicle, which is then subjected to 100 additional quality checks at the Vignale Centre, part of at Ford’s manufacturing facility in Valencia, Spain.

Available only with the high-power versions of the 2.0-litre EcoBoost petrol and turbo-diesel powerplants, as well as the petrol-electric hybrid powertrain and all-wheel drive models, the exterior trim additions include 18-inch Vignale alloy wheels, a matte metallic grille, polished aluminium and chrome trim additions and exclusive paint.

Vignale Mondeos lay claim to more refined cabins – thanks to the active noise cancellation technology – as well as traditional quilted and tuxedo-stitched leather trim for the seats, console and armrests.

The Ford Vignale Mondeo range is available to order from next month in the UK, with prices kicking off from about $A55,000 – some $A8000 more than the equivalent Mondeo, depending on the body-style.

Ford executive vice president and president of Europe, Middle East and Africa Jim Farley said Ford Vignale is the highest expression of the Ford brand in Europe.

“Our vision for Vignale is to create a modern, contemporary upscale experience that makes Vignale a valued part of customers’ lives, starting with the Ford Vignale Mondeo, and later this year with introduction of the Ford Vignale S-Max,” he said.

The Vignale name has its beginnings as an Italian coach builder, established after World War II near Turin - Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Fiat, Maserati and Lancia were among the clientele.

The Vignale brand was owned briefly by De Tomaso in the late 1960s and subsequently sold to Ford in 1973, which left it dormant until the name reappeared on an Aston Martin (then owned by Ford) twenty years later.