With one foot in its European grave, the Ford Mondeo name will live on in China affixed to a high-riding sedan – but don’t expect to see it in Australia.
The Ford Mondeo name has returned from the brink of death for a new petrol-powered sedan in China – but don’t hold out hope for an Australian launch any time soon.
Pictured in leaked images out of China overnight, the new Mondeo sedan represents the fifth generation of the iconic nameplate – but it will be exclusive to the Chinese market, with production expected to occur in Chongqing through Ford’s joint venture with local company Changan.
Trading the five-door liftback body style of its predecessor for a four-door sedan shape, the new Mondeo is effectively a sedan-bodied version of the new China-only Evos crossover wagon, wearing Ford China’s corporate front fascia design, slim lighting units (with a full-width tail-light bar, and ‘MONDEO’ script across the boot lid.
Standard and ST-Line variants will be offered, the latter available with a black boot lip spoiler, sportier front and rear bumper designs, large circa-19-inch alloy wheels, black side skirt trims, and a black contrast roof.
Chinese government documents report the new Mondeo measures 4935mm long, 1875mm wide and 1500mm high, sitting on a 2945mm wheelbase – making it 64mm longer, 23mm wider and 10mm taller than the outgoing Mondeo liftback, with a 95mm longer wheelbase.
The images don’t provide a look into the new Ford Mondeo’s cabin, though if the related Evos is any guide, expect a mammoth 1.1-metre bank of screens, consisting of a 12.3-inch instrument display and a 27-inch touchscreen running China-specific ‘Sync +2.0’ software, with a voice assistant, artificial intelligence technology, and over-the-air updates.
Other interior and safety technology features are likely to include subscription services for a range of vehicle services, vehicle-to-X (V2X) technology, plus Ford’s Level 2 ‘BlueCruise’ semi-autonomous driving software allowing automated driving on mapped sections of Chinese highways.
A choice of 1.5-litre and 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engines will be available, according to China’s Sohu, with the larger and more potent option sending 175kW and 376Nm through an eight-speed automatic transmission.
The 2022 Ford Mondeo is expected to go on sale in China next year, with Autocar reporting a launch in the second quarter of the year. An Australian launch isn’t planned, with the vehicle to remain a Chinese-market exclusive.
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