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What about its looks? Well, the first pictures revealed it to indeed be a fine looking piece of metal, but in the flesh it's even better with a touch of class above its natural station and a slightly dangerous edge to the expression across the front. I'm not quite as confident about the tail end on the five-door - the lights lack the purposeful, integrated sympathy of those in the front, but it's a far from ugly rump.

Indoors, the environment is quietly plush with nicely arranged, classy instruments giving an integrated air of functional flow – more satisfying than startling but far from prosaic. These things all just set the scene, though, for what can only be described as a phenomenal drive.

I got the opportunity to take two cars out on the road – an estate powered by a 138bhp, two-litre Duratorq TDCi turbo diesel engine, and a five-door with the 2.5-litre Duratec, 217bhp, turbocharged petrol unit. Both engines were very strong, quiet and admirable. The 2.5T didn't feel like over 200bhp but that may be because it's so smooth with solid delivery. The official figures suggest it is quick, tripping the clock at 62mph just 7.5 seconds after take off in the five-door, 0.2 seconds later in the estate.

The TDCi is a quiet, torquey engine that's unfazed by steep and winding hill roads, and has bucket loads of reserves for high-speed overtaking on motorways. Turning out 236lb/ft of torque, the same as the big petrol unit, this is the engine Ford believes will be its top seller. Official figures show it'll do the sprint in a respectable 9.5 seconds. When you think the petrol unit drinks a gallon of gasoline on average every 30 miles, while the diesel does almost 48 miles on the same amount, I know where my money would go.

As a driver, the big things that struck me were the suspension and the steering. The outgoing Mondeo was very good on the road anyway, but this is a step further. The Sardinian test route was mostly made up of tightly snaking hill roads, badly pocked with potholes and shovelled-in patches.

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