2007 Ford Mondeo

Mondeo Rock

Ok, unless you are a child of the early eighties that title won't mean much to you which is a shame. However, speaking of rocks...Ford Australia who are currently caught between a rock and hard place with the sales of Falcon steadily spiralling, announced at this years Melbourne Motor Show that it would be importing the 2007 Mondeo to flesh out its mid-size range.

2007 Ford Mondeo. A Top Gear favourite with killer looks that may just make life difficult for Falcon...

The new 2007 Ford Mondeo was officially debuted in March at the Geneva Motor Show and it seems likely that we will see it later this year in Australia.

Generally regarded as an exceptional car in Europe the Mondeo will no-doubt provide Ford buyers with an alternative to the larger Falcon which itself is due for replacement in 2008.

Pricing is expected to be above that of Holden’s just released Epica but should start below $30k. I suspect that the inevitable comparisons between the Mondeo and Epica will show that the two are like chalk and cheese. Epica will no doubt be good value and sharply priced but the Mondeo has for some time now proven itself to be a refined quality product for its price.

Detailed specs are not known at this stage but Ford have confirmed that there will be three engine options available including a 4-cylinder diesel as well as three levels of trim.

Although Ford believe that sales of the upcoming 2008 Orion Falcon will be unaffected by the Mondeo, I suspect that they will be making less Falcons than planned and importing more Mondeos. It appears that the movement away from large cars in Australia is not a short term fad determined only by the price of fuel.

Mondeo just may be Ford Australia’s saviour.