| Road Test Ford Mondeo TDCi Zetec Estate |
||
 |
||
|
Steady Improvement How this was achieved is of course Ford's problem rather than ours, but for the record it involved a new Garrett turbocharger, some work on the pistons and a whole heap of modifications to the fuel injection system. The result, according to Ford's figures, is that the TDCi now performs better than it did, as well as producing better overall emissions (even though the CO2 figures are marginally higher). Maximum power is the same as before at 128bhp, but there are improvements in the lower half of the rev range which make the Mondeo a little quicker off the mark.
So the broad description of the Mondeo's design is the same as it used to be: a neat if rather sharp-edged exterior, an interior which manages to look slightly low-grade regardless of how well equipped the individual model really is, and finally (in this particular case) a smart conversion to estate format which if anything makes this version look better from the rear than the saloon or hatchback equivalents. Suitable Space Machine The principal appeal of the estate is of course the extra luggage capacity. With all seats in position this Mondeo has 540 litres of fresh air available, which is about 100 more than the saloon and hatch can carry if they use standard spare wheels (space-saver wheels release about half the difference).
Fold down the rear seats and the estate's capacity increases to 1700 litres compared with 1370 for the hatch. You even get an extra 4cm of rear headroom. |
It's easy to forget that until a couple of years ago Ford did not have a decent, up-to-date diesel engine to put into its Mondeo range. That grim situation was very successfully attended to with the introduction of the splendid two-litre TDCi turbo unit, which has now been upgraded to match the Euro IV emissions regulations coming into force at the beginning of 2005.
