This coupe-like sedan is currently exclusive to the Chinese market
Dwindling sales and favour over crossovers and SUVs may have led the Ford Mondeo to its demise in Europe but in China, the sedan will continue to live on with the introduction of an all-new, fifth-generation model at the automaker’s new China Design Center in Shanghai.
According to Ford, the Mondeo is styled based on its new “Progressive Energy in Strength” design language, which incorporates the preferences of its Chinese customers and embodies three design principles, namely “commanding,” “agile” and “responsive.”
The new Mondeo certainly looks a tad more commanding than the model it replaces, thanks to the bold grille with what Ford calls active parametric cells and coast-to-coast LED lighting. The bonnet has sculptured graphics that give the sedan a subtle power bulge, while the roofline is somewhat sloped, resulting in an attractive coupe-like side profile.
At the back, you’ll see unique taillights with Mustang-inspired graphics, as well as a glossy black element that serves to accentuate the Mondeo’s width. Size-wise, the sedan is now 23 mm wider and 63 mm longer than the previous generation model, making for an even more generous rear passenger area.
Ford says its research revealed that Chinese customers have a soft spot for responsive design elements. With that in mind, its designers have included flush-fitting door handles that retract in the presence of the passenger, a touch-sensitive Ford badge that opens the rear hatch and the aforementioned parametric cells in the front grille that move to acknowledge drivers as they approach the vehicle.
There is no mention of the powertrain in the press release but reports suggest that the Mondeo could come with a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine, with an eight-speed automatic transmission driving the front wheels. This makes perfect sense as the engine-gearbox combo is found in the Evos, which is essentially a crossover version of the Mondeo that made its debut in the People’s Republic in April 2021.
The all-new Mondeo is developed by the Ford China team and will be built by Changan Ford, a 50/50 joint venture between Changan Automobile and Ford Motor Company, exclusively for the Chinese market. Deliveries are slated to begin this year.
